# The file module failing when directory exists

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [November 16, 2015, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773 "2015-11-16T07:06:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![igorc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/igorc/32/5491_2.png) [@igorc](https://forum.ansible.com/u/igorc)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773/1 "2015-11-16T07:06:53Z")

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Hi all,

Currently a task like this:

file: path=/data state=directory owner=root group=root mode=0755

fails with the following error:

failed: [localhost] =\> {“failed”: true, “parsed”: false}  
BECOME-SUCCESS-pquapqcakqrmffxonpxknqbulycqfmls  
Traceback (most recent call last):  
File “/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1447656411.96-95869428580440/file”, line 2012, in   
main()  
File “/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1447656411.96-95869428580440/file”, line 279, in main  
os.mkdir(curpath)  
OSError: [Errno 17] File exists: ‘/data’

on Ansible 1.9.4. Doesn’t it make more sense for the task to continue and just set the permissions instead of failing when the directory already exists?

Thanks,  
Igor

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**Author:** ![Markus\_Ellers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Markus\_Ellers](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Markus_Ellers)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773/2 "2015-11-16T18:23:57Z")

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hi, are you sure the remote ansible user is allowed to change folder owners / permissions in the / directory?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![igorc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/igorc/32/5491_2.png) [@igorc](https://forum.ansible.com/u/igorc)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773/3 "2015-11-16T21:48:14Z")

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Absolutely sure. This should be easily reproducible if you are willing to try it.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_Fletcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Tim\_Fletcher](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Tim_Fletcher)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773/4 "2015-11-16T22:19:21Z")

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Is it a directory or a file?

I have come across this error when a file existed which I requested be a  
directory.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![igorc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/igorc/32/5491_2.png) [@igorc](https://forum.ansible.com/u/igorc)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-file-module-failing-when-directory-exists/19773/5 "2015-11-16T22:47:30Z")

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Directory.