# .profile **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [May 25, 2016, 11:06am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561 "2016-05-25T11:06:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fanvalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fanvalt](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fanvalt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:06am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/1 "2016-05-25T11:06:23Z")
Hello, is it possible to run the .profile on the target server to be able to run a shell using these env variables ? example: the JAVA\_HOME variable is set in the .profile on my target environment. When running the playbook with: - name: run .profile shell: ksh .profile args: chdir: ~ - name: Demarrage du server openhr shell: /bin/ksh dispatcher.sh the error message is: JAVA\_HOME is not set. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:13am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/2 "2016-05-25T11:13:18Z")
I think that is what setting the environment is for. Ansible uses an non-interactive shell. From the docs: - hosts: all   remote\_user: root   tasks:     - apt: name=cobbler state=installed       environment:         http\_proxy: [http://proxy.example.com:8080](http://proxy.example.com:8080) [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_environment.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_environment.html) Johannes ---
**Author:** ![fanvalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fanvalt](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fanvalt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/3 "2016-05-25T11:27:29Z")
thank you but my understanding is that environment is only to set proxy. ---
**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:40am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/4 "2016-05-25T11:40:20Z")
IMHO no. Why not have a try? Johannes ---
**Author:** ![fanvalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fanvalt](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fanvalt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/5 "2016-05-25T12:10:24Z")
What shall I try ? I don’t understand how to add in the environment th eexecution of the .profile on the remote server ? I am a newby with ansible, I have not a clue to do so. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Werner\_Flamme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@Werner\_Flamme](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Werner_Flamme)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/6 "2016-05-25T12:44:48Z")
fanvalt [25.05.2016 14:10]: > What shall I try ? > I don't understand how to add in the environment th eexecution of the > .profile on the remote server ? > I am a newby with ansible, I have not a clue to do so. You can write a shell script that consists of - the setting of the environment variable - the desired action For example, this script can contain three lines: #!/bin/ksh . /root/.profile /usr/local/bin/dispatcher.sh You call this script instead of dispatcher.sh directly, like - name: Demarrage du server openhr   shell: /bin/ksh /usr/local/bin/mynewscript.sh Of course you should adapt all file names and paths according to your system 🙂 HTH, Werner ---
**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/7 "2016-05-25T13:06:30Z")
> What shall I try ? > I don't understand how to add in the environment th eexecution of the > .profile on the remote server ? I would set the variables, that your .profile contains, in the environment section, something like this (untested): - hosts: all   remote\_user: root   tasks:   - name: Demarrage du server openhr     shell: /bin/ksh dispatcher.sh     environment:       JAVA\_HOME: /usr/bin/foobar/ > I am a newby with ansible, I have not a clue to do so. I also have never set the environment with ansible, so we're both newbies... Johannes ---
**Author:** ![fanvalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fanvalt](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fanvalt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/8 "2016-05-25T14:23:21Z")
OK thank you but this set the environment variable on the server where the playbook is run, I need the environment variables set on the target server whe running shells because the .profile is not run when connected with ssh. So I cannot use your bypass solution ---
**Author:** ![Johannes\_Kastl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Johannes\_Kastl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Johannes_Kastl)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/9 "2016-05-25T14:49:33Z")
Oh, I did not know the environment is set on the controller. Sorry. I think Werner's solution is pretty nice. Johannes ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_Totterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Paul\_Totterman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Paul_Totterman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/10 "2016-05-25T20:10:22Z")
> You call this script instead of dispatcher.sh directly, like And there’s even the script-module: [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/script\_module.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/script_module.html) Cheers, Paul ---
**Author:** ![fanvalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2bfe46/32.png) [@fanvalt](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fanvalt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/profile/21561/11 "2016-05-26T12:49:59Z")
Thank you, the bypass solution I am finally using is to copy the dispatcher.sh into a new file, then with the help of lineinfile, I insert after the #!/bin/ksh first line the call of the .profile and when it is done I do remove this temporary file: - name: Copy du script dispatcher.sh shell: cp /{{ rep\_user }}/{{ openhrname }}/bin/dispatcher.sh /{{ rep\_user }}/{{ openhrname }}/bin/startdisp.sh - lineinfile: dest: /{{ rep\_user }}/{{ openhrname }}/bin/startdisp.sh regexp: “^exit 0” insertafter: “#!/bin/ksh” line: “. ~/.profile” the startdisp.sh script does start with these lines: #!/bin/ksh . ~/.profile Regards