# Using module.is\_executable(path) results in an exception **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [January 16, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-module-is-executable-path-results-in-an-exception/23465 "2017-01-16T16:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ER1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ER1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/ER1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-module-is-executable-path-results-in-an-exception/23465/1 "2017-01-16T16:00:18Z")
I am trying to develop a new module for Ansible. I need to validate a provided parameter points to a valid executable on the system. I am having problems using the is\_executable helper function from Ansible module\_utils. My code looks like follows: \/library/test\_module.py #!/usr/bin/python from ansible.module\_utils.basic import \* def validate\_input(module): params = module.params if not module.is\_executable(params[‘api\_bin’]): module.fail\_json(msg=“Please specify a valid api\_bin.”) def main(): fields = dict( api\_bin = dict(default=‘/bin/echo’) ) module = AnsibleModule( argument\_spec = fields ) validate\_input(module) module.exit\_json(dict(foo=‘bar’)) if **name** == ‘ **main** ’: main() \/playbook.yml - name: test api module hosts: localhost tasks: - test\_module: Very Verbose Output: [root@wks test]# ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvv Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available PLAYBOOK: playbook.yml \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* 1 plays in playbook.yml PLAY [test api module] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* TASK [setup] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Using module file /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/ansible/modules/core/system/setup.py \<127.0.0.1\> ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: root \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘( umask 77 && mkdir -p “`echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022`” && echo ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022=“`echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022`” ) && sleep 0’ \<127.0.0.1\> PUT /tmp/tmps9OBmS TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022/setup.py \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘chmod u+x /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022/ /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022/setup.py && sleep 0’ \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘/usr/bin/python2.6 /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022/setup.py; rm -rf “/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.29-253240644016022/” \> /dev/null 2\>&1 && sleep 0’ ok: [localhost] TASK [test\_module] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* task path: /root/test/playbook.yml:4 Using module file /root/test/library/test\_module.py \<127.0.0.1\> ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: root \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘( umask 77 && mkdir -p “`echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985`” && echo ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985=“`echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985`” ) && sleep 0’ \<127.0.0.1\> PUT /tmp/tmps9OBmS TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985/test\_module.py \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘chmod u+x /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985/ /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985/test\_module.py && sleep 0’ \<127.0.0.1\> EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘/usr/bin/python2.6 /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985/test\_module.py; rm -rf “/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1484582250.69-169598441928985/” \> /dev/null 2\>&1 && sleep 0’ An exception occurred during task execution. The full traceback is: Traceback (most recent call last): File “/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py”, line 24, in main() File “/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py”, line 19, in main validate\_input(module) File “/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py”, line 7, in validate\_input if not module.is\_executable(params[‘api\_bin’]): TypeError: is\_executable() takes exactly 1 argument (2 given) fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> { “changed”: false, “failed”: true, “invocation”: { “module\_name”: “test\_module” }, “module\_stderr”: “Traceback (most recent call last):\n File "/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py", line 24, in \n main()\n File "/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py", line 19, in main\n validate\_input(module)\n File "/tmp/ansible\_lQYk0L/ansible\_module\_test\_module.py", line 7, in validate\_input\n if not module.is\_executable(params[‘api\_bin’]):\nTypeError: is\_executable() takes exactly 1 argument (2 given)\n”, “module\_stdout”: “”, “msg”: “MODULE FAILURE” } to retry, use: --limit @/root/test/playbook.retry PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* localhost : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 ---
**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:** [January 16, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-module-is-executable-path-results-in-an-exception/23465/2 "2017-01-16T17:01:33Z")
This is due to `is_executable` not being an instance method. Instead of using `module.is_executable`, just try `is_executable`, removing `module.` from the front. `is_executable` is now a top level function in `ansible.module_utils.basic`, so you have already imported it.