path to group_vars

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1

This might be a really dumb question. I am working on a project where the directory structure looks like the tree below. I am looking for confirmation from the forum that this will not read anything group_vars, as group_vars from what I can deduct, should live within the inventory directory, being relative to the inventory (and this cannot be changed in ansible.cfg?). Is my understanding correct?

├── apserver.yml
├── dbservers.yml

├── group_vars
│ ├── all (F)
│ ├── apservers (F)

│ └── dbservers (F)

├── inventory
│ ├── dev (F)

│ └── prod (F)

├── roles
│ ├── activemq
│ │ ├── tasks

│ │ │ ├── main.yml

For avoidance of doubt, (F) means the entry is a file.

2

On another project, I have my inventory file in a directory called env/sandbox

├── env
│ └── sandbox
│ ├── group_vars
│ │ └── all
│ └── inventory

I then created this at the root of the ansible directory, with different variables.
├── group_vars
│ └── all

Running ansible-playbook -i env/sandbox/inventory site.yml, values from group_vars/all is used, instead of env/sandbox/group_vars/all.

I am confused. While it is suggested one may elect to have group_vars in the root directory, my understanding was that group_vars was relative to inventory. Apparently not.

3

group/host_vars MUST be relative either to the inventory or to the
play being run.