# printing readable error message while in playbook debug mode **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 8, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/printing-readable-error-message-while-in-playbook-debug-mode/26690 "2018-02-08T20:18:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tim\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@Tim\_Black](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Tim_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/printing-readable-error-message-while-in-playbook-debug-mode/26690/1 "2018-02-08T20:18:03Z")
I get this error when I run my playbook (with debug strategy enabled): ` TASK [Add authorized keys for developer user] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* task path: /home/pi/Source/ansible/playbooks/post-preseeded-debian-install.yml:27 fatal: [tblack-win10]: FAILED! =\> { “msg”: “The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: ‘item’ is undefined\n\nThe error appears to have been in ‘/home/pi/Source/ansible/playbooks/post-preseeded-debian-install.yml’: line 27, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n tasks:\n - name: "Add authorized keys for {{ preseeded\_username }} user"\n ^ here\nWe could be wrong, but this one looks like it might be an issue with\nmissing quotes. Always quote template expression brackets when they\nstart a value. For instance:\n\n with\_items:\n - {{ foo }}\n\nShould be written as:\n\n with\_items:\n - "{{ foo }}"\n\nexception type: \\nexception: ‘item’ is undefined” } ` It breaks into debug prompt, but when I print the error message there, it won’t do it pythonically, or even readable: ` (debug) p result[‘msg’] u’The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: 'item' is undefined\n\nThe error appears to have been in '/home/pi/Source/ansible/playbooks/post-preseeded-debian-install.yml': line 27, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n tasks:\n - name: “Add authorized keys for {{ preseeded\_username }} user”\n ^ here\nWe could be wrong, but this one looks like it might be an issue with\nmissing quotes. Always quote template expression brackets when they\nstart a value. For instance:\n\n with\_items:\n - {{ foo }}\n\nShould be written as:\n\n with\_items:\n - “{{ foo }}”\n\nexception type: \\nexception: 'item' is undefined’ ` However, I can copy/paste the entire unicode string def, paste and print in a separate python interactive session variable, and it looks correct: ` /home/tblack \> python Python 2.7.13 (default, Nov 24 2017, 17:33:09) [GCC 6.3.0 20170516] on linux2 Type “help”, “copyright”, “credits” or “license” for more information. > > > m=u’The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: 'item' is undefined\n\nThe error appears to have been in '/home/pi/Source/ansible/playbooks/post-preseeded-debian-install.yml': line 27, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n tasks:\n - name: “Add authorized keys for {{ preseeded\_username }} user”\n ^ here\nWe could be wrong, but this one looks like it might be an issue with\nmissing quotes. Always quote template expression brackets when they\nstart a value. For instance:\n\n with\_items:\n - {{ foo }}\n\nShould be written as:\n\n with\_items:\n - “{{ foo }}”\n\nexception type: \\nexception: 'item' is undefined’ > > > type(m) > > > \ > > > print m > > > The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: ‘item’ is undefined The error appears to have been in ‘/home/pi/Source/ansible/playbooks/post-preseeded-debian-install.yml’: line 27, column 7, but may be elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem. The offending line appears to be: tasks: - name: “Add authorized keys for {{ preseeded\_username }} user” ^ here We could be wrong, but this one looks like it might be an issue with missing quotes. Always quote template expression brackets when they start a value. For instance: with\_items: - {{ foo }} Should be written as: with\_items: - “{{ foo }}” exception type: \ exception: ‘item’ is undefined ` How do I do same in the ansible debug prompt? Any other ideas on how to print this output in a READABLE fashion? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/printing-readable-error-message-while-in-playbook-debug-mode/26690/2 "2018-02-08T20:30:55Z")
So this is a strong indication that you have some errors in your code, so you need to show us the code in the file to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@Tim\_Black](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Tim_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 5:52am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/printing-readable-error-message-while-in-playbook-debug-mode/26690/3 "2018-02-09T05:52:44Z")
My issue isn’t about whats wrong with my code, its a question about why ansible debugger wont print the newlines in a python string.