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@gwillem
Created June 16, 2016 21:59
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Get Ansible to work on bare Ubuntu 16.04 without python 2.7
# Add this snippet to the top of your playbook.
# It will install python2 if missing (but checks first so no expensive repeated apt updates)
# gwillem@gmail.com
- hosts: all
gather_facts: False
tasks:
- name: install python 2
raw: test -e /usr/bin/python || (apt -y update && apt install -y python-minimal)
@zoredache
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zoredache commented Apr 20, 2018

@tlc, you could almost certainly use jinja expressions in what you pass to raw:

raw: |
  {% if foo %}
  http_proxy={{foo}}
  {% endif %}
  etc....

@muawiakh
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muawiakh commented May 7, 2018

I use the following snippet, which can work across different distributions and only expects python to be installed, which is mostly the case with default ubuntu boxes:

  pre_tasks:
    - raw: which /usr/bin/python || which /usr/bin/python3
      register: py_interpreter
      changed_when: py_interpreter.stdout != ""
    - set_fact:
        ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ py_interpreter.stdout }}"
    - name: Gathering Facts
      setup: #aka gather_facts

@dmonagha
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Thanks @dpetukhov

@DeanKamali
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DeanKamali commented Oct 10, 2018

ansible -i /path/to/inventory all -m raw -a "apt -y update && apt install -y python"

@ygotame
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ygotame commented Oct 17, 2018

I needed to install also pyton-setuptools to avoid the error

raw: test -e /usr/bin/python || (apt -y update && apt install -y python-minimal python-setuptools)

@C-Bam
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C-Bam commented Oct 26, 2018

I don't know if that is possible but if CentOS or RHEL comes without python, I did this:

raw: test -e /usr/bin/python || (yum -y update && yum install -y python) || (apt -y update && apt install -y python-minimal)

@hitme
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hitme commented Nov 3, 2018

gather_facts: False pre_tasks: - name: Install python for Ansible raw: test -e /usr/bin/python || (apt -y update && apt install -y python-minimal) changed_when: False - setup: # aka gather_facts

works for me, thanks.

@SerenaFeng
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Thanks, a great help

@staekblw
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does anyone know how to install python if the target machine has no internet access? Let's say I have python package located on my control machine, is there any way to copy the python package to target machine?

@eengstrom
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FWIW, I've got an ansible role based upon this thread that works for EL/RedHat/Debian/Ubuntu/FreeBSD. I just published it to ansible- galaxy. Would love for some feedback.

@rmbleeker
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rmbleeker commented Nov 13, 2019

@staekblw

does anyone know how to install python if the target machine has no internet access? Let's say I have python package located on my control machine, is there any way to copy the python package to target machine?

I hope you've found a solution by now, but if not my suggestion would be to use 'local_action' and perform an scp or sftp command.

@mahlingam
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mahlingam commented Jan 7, 2020

Lil' update, on ubuntu 18.04 installing python-minimal will prompt interactively for some libssl installation, which then sits there forever. Using test -e /usr/bin/python || (apt -y update && UCF_FORCE_CONFOLD=1 DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" -qq -y install python-minimal) fixes this behavior.
Inspired by https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ansible/+bug/1833013/comments/6

@maherio
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maherio commented Feb 8, 2020

Why is the raw command necessary for this? I've been having trouble running this lately (likely due to @mahlingam's comment above), and I found that this seems to work for me:

- hosts: all
  become: true
  become_user: root
  become_method: sudo
  gather_facts: no
  pre_tasks:
    - name: Install python for Ansible
      apt:
        update_cache: yes
        name:
          - python-minimal
    - setup: # aka gather_facts
  tasks:
    ...

Just wondering if there's a reason not to do this

@ahmgithubahm
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Just wondering if there's a reason not to do this

Yep, I think it's simply that a target server without python installed, is unable to run normal ansible task steps. Using 'raw' side-steps the need for python.

@ahmgithubahm
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PS I think bootstrapping a Python 2 installation is now likely to be unnecessary, since Ansible 2.8+ will auto-detect a suitable Python interpreter to use anyway.

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/interpreter_discovery.html

@ProExpertProg
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If anyone is looking for a solution for Ubuntu 20.04 - change python-minimal to python2-minimal.

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