Remove specific key with ansible.posix.authorized_keys

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Running ansible [core 2.16.6]

I need to remove a specific key from the authorized_keys file while leaving all other keys intact. I’ve been able to add a key but it seems that removing a specific key isn’t an option. As I understand things I can add a key to be exclusive but that isn’t a solution as some systems have different keys that need to be there.

Added:
I looked at the state parameter and now see that I can use absent. As long as I don’t have the exclusive parameter set to true will this do what I need?

2

Hi,

Here is a simplified and condensed example of how you could do it:

- hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    my_pubkeys:
      - {user: ptn, pubkeys: ['ssh-rsa myKey1','ssh-rsa myKey2']}
  tasks:
    - name: Add authorizedkeys
      ansible.posix.authorized_key:
        user: "{{ item.0.user }}"
        key: "{{ item.1 }}"
        path: "/tmp/{{ item.0.user }}.authorized_keys"
        manage_dir: no
        state: present
      loop: "{{ my_pubkeys|d([]) | subelements('pubkeys') }}"
      register: _addauthorizedkeys_debug

    - name: "[DEBUG] Print added public keys"
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg:
        - "Pubkeys      : {{ item.key }}"
        - "Added to file: {{ item.keyfile }}"
        - "For user     : {{ item.user }}"
      with_items: "{{ _addauthorizedkeys_debug | json_query('results[*].invocation.module_args') }}"

    - name: Remove specific authorizedkey
      ansible.posix.authorized_key:
        user: "{{ item.0.user }}"
        key: 'ssh-rsa myKey2'
        path: "/tmp/{{ item.0.user }}.authorized_keys"
        manage_dir: no
        state: absent
      loop: "{{ my_pubkeys|d([]) | subelements('pubkeys') }}"
      register: _removeauthorizedkeys_debug

    - name: "[DEBUG] Print removed public keys"
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg:
        - "Pubkeys          : {{ item.key }}"
        - "Removed from file: {{ item.keyfile }}"
        - "For user         : {{ item.user }}"
      with_items: "{{ _removeauthorizedkeys_debug | json_query('results[*].invocation.module_args') }}"

$ cat /tmp/ptn.authorized_keys 
ssh-rsa myKey1

To adjust to your needs.

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