Variable file inclusion advice sought

Archives Ansible Project
1

I’m trying to create a playbook in which I have a single role though I expect this will expand with time. I want to load the variables in a file per play_host. I think I can include the variable file with the same name as the host with .yml or .yaml suffix in ./host_vars or ./group_vars/<role_name> relative to the location of the inventory. However Ansible complains that these host variable files are not found unless they are in the same directory as the main playbook and inventory file.

The variable files are in ./host_vars. The main playbook & inventory are ./site.yml & ./hosts, the role playbook is ./<role_name>/main.yml and is as below.

2

host_vars/group_vars can be relative to inventory or to play, but variable files in host_vars/ or group_vars/ are automatically included, no need to use include_vars.

include_vars is relative to play only, as it does not make sense to use it to include inventory host/group vars (as they are automatic).

3

Shouldn't your main.yml file be in ./roles/<role name>/tasks/main.yml?

Johannes