# script module **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [March 5, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688 "2015-03-05T23:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Craig\_White](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85e7bf/32.png) [@Craig\_White](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Craig_White)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/1 "2015-03-05T23:32:39Z")
Seems that the ‘script’ module wants a local file but I need the local file to be a template with variables ./templates/my\_script.sh # Run script which removes the directory - name: perform OpenLDAP setup and clean up script: /tmp/slapd/add\_ldifs.sh removes=/tmp/slapd but this doesn’t work because /tmp/slapd/add\_ldifs.sh is created from the template and exists on the remote and is not local. templates/add\_ldifs.sh.j2 is local Is there a way I can do this or do I just resort to running the shell script that I already have on the remote? ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/2 "2015-03-06T03:35:06Z")
One way to do it is to create the template locally for the script module, another would be to use the shell module instead to execute the script. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Wieers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Dag\_Wieers](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dag_Wieers)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:46am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/3 "2015-03-06T09:46:53Z")
It would be nice to have an action plugin for the script module that is activated when e.g. template=yes is added. And which would subsequently template the script. (Or we could decide to always template when script is used ?) ---
**Author:** ![Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:49am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/4 "2015-03-06T09:49:53Z")
​Given the extra processing and slow down that kicks in with templat​es, I'd rather not. ---
**Author:** ![Craig\_White](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85e7bf/32.png) [@Craig\_White](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Craig_White)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/5 "2015-03-06T17:47:06Z")
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**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/6 "2015-03-06T18:00:17Z")
> given that I am a newbie, my opinions lack perspective. I think the > 'script' command should be able to be gathered from a template because > ansible is just a glorified shell script manager anyway and why keep it > emasculated? Yikes! I would in no way say that ansible is just a glorified shell script manager. I do think you are lacking perspective > I can run the script that is derived from the template and dropped on the > subject server with the shell command - I thought the script > 'creates/removes' functions added a bit of elegance that you don't get from > the shell module. The shell and command modules also both utilize creates/removes In my non-humble opinion, I think templating a shell script or any script for that matter is pretty terrible. I'd recommend tempting a config that the script can utilize to gather the info it needs to perform a task, rather than building a script on the fly. Or allowing the script to run off of ENV vars, and passing an "environment" along with your command. ---
**Author:** ![Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/7 "2015-03-06T18:25:51Z")
​I didn't say it should not be possible to template the script, just not by default, as Dag suggested.​ ---
**Author:** ![Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/8 "2015-03-06T18:29:26Z")
​That could do terrible things yes :)​ ​But I could see use cases. Instead of templating a separate config file, just templating some variable declarations for example. Either way, it's up to the user to write whatever's decent for his use case. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Wieers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Dag\_Wieers](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dag_Wieers)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/9 "2015-03-06T22:20:42Z")
To be fair, I suggested three things. You selected one to comment on 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/script-module/17688/10 "2015-03-06T22:26:47Z")
You can already use templates for script, either by running a local template task or using the template lookup, I feel remiss to add script generation from template to the module. Not that I think dynamic shell generation should be done from ansible, IMHO it is much cleaner to use shell/script with the environment: keyword or simply passing the arguments in the command line (which can use ansible variables).