Where to put files and templates that don't belong to a role

Archives Ansible Project
1

Hi everyone,

Where do you usually put files or templates that are just used in a certain play but are not part of a role? Currently I do have them just alongside my playbooks organised by play

someplay.yml files/ someplay/somefile someotherplay/someotherfile templates someplay/sometemplate.j2 someotherplay/someothertemplate.j2

This however is a bit awkward when using it in a play since I always have to specify the play subfolder in files/ or templates/

`

  • name: Copy extensions.conf
    copy: src=files/someplay/extensions.conf dest=/etc/extensions.conf

`

Now this can be easily solved by converting that particular playbook into a role and then just using ‘templates/somethemplate.js’ and ‘files/somefile’ without the ‘play’ subdirectory. That however has the side-effect that I’d have a rather stupid playbook that just includes a role, which I find rather annoying:

`

  • name: Configure server
    hosts: mysinglehost
    roles:
  • role: custom_configure_server_role
    `

I’ve heard from other ansible guys that they treat ‘everything as a role’. Maybe it’s just me but I find that opening a playbook just to find out that it contains just one custom role a bit redundant. How do you guys usually do this?

Cheers!

2

I am in the boat of treating everything as a role.

____some_app

____site.yml
____roles

____some_app_name

____vars
____tasks
____defaults
____files
____templates

Now you could, if needed, create a site.yml that would have variables to execute, or not execute, certain roles inside of the “roles” directory.

site.yml

tasks:

  • include_role:
    name: some_app_1
    when: some_app1_variable == “true”

  • include_role:
    name: some_app_2
    when: some_app2_variable == “true”

This doesn’t really get around your problem of having a generic location for files/templates. Just an opinion on the “everything as a role” comment.

Happy Coding!!

3

Hi Mike,

I am in the boat of treating everything as a role.

[...]

Just an opinion on the "everything as a role" comment.

An extra opinion is very welcome. If I'm the only person who doesn't treat "everything as a role" then maybe it's time to think about changing my ways :wink:

Cheers!

4

Hi everyone,

Where do you usually put files or templates that are just used in a certain
play but are not part of a role?

For the most part in a role.

Currently I do have them just alongside my
playbooks organised by play

Some file like ssh and gpg public keys is located on top level inside files/ directly.
The reason for this is that it make it easier for people since they don't need to go deep down into a role if they need to change their files or add files.

This however is a bit awkward when using it in a play since I always have
to specify the play subfolder in files/ or templates/

    - name: Copy extensions.conf
      copy: src=files/someplay/extensions.conf dest=/etc/extensions.conf

Now this can be easily solved by converting that particular playbook into a
role and then just using 'templates/somethemplate.js' and 'files/somefile'
without the 'play' subdirectory.

When using template it automatically check the templates folder so you don't need to include templates/, somethemplate.js suffice.
The same are try for copy and the files/ directory in a role.

That however has the side-effect that I'd
have a rather stupid playbook that just includes a role, which I find
rather annoying:

- name: Configure server
  hosts: mysinglehost
  roles:
    - role: custom_configure_server_role

Personally i find this cleaner that having a task.
And if you have more than one host that need it, you only have one place to change the code if needed.

You can leave out role:

  roles:
    - custom_configure_server_role

I've heard from other ansible guys that they treat 'everything as a role'.
Maybe it's just me but I find that opening a playbook just to find out that
it contains just one custom role a bit redundant. How do you guys usually
do this?

If the config is very small I sometimes do someting like this since it fast and easy to grasp

  - name: Runing check every minute
    copy:
      content: |
        # Managed by Ansible
        * * * * * root /usr/local/bin/check
      dest: /etc/cron.d/hourly_check