Ansible library path merging example

dummy

#!/usr/bin/python
import json

print json.dumps({'hello': 'world'})

dummy.yml

- hosts: 127.0.0.1
  connection: local

  tasks:
  - name: test local module inclusion
    action: dummy

  - name: test standard module inclusion
    action: debug msg="got here"
  
  - name: fail and print module path
    action: madeup

environment

[will@cheetah ansible]$ echo $ANSIBLE_LIBRARY
/Users/will/src/ansible/library
[will@cheetah ansible]$ echo $ANSIBLE_CONFIG
/Users/will/.ansible/config
[will@cheetah ansible]$ grep library $ANSIBLE_CONFIG
# location of ansible library, eliminates need to specify --module-path
library = ~/src/library

results using -M

[will@cheetah ansible]$ ansible-playbook -M ~/src/library dummy.yml 

PLAY [127.0.0.1] ************************************************************** 

GATHERING FACTS *************************************************************** 
ok: [127.0.0.1]

TASK: [dummy] ***************************************************************** 
ok: [127.0.0.1]

TASK: [debug msg="got here"] ************************************************** 
ok: [127.0.0.1] => {
    "msg": "got here"
}

TASK: [madeup] **************************************************************** 
fatal: [127.0.0.1] => module madeup not found in /Users/will/src/library:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/cloud:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/commands:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/database:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/files:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/internal:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/inventory:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/messaging:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/monitoring:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/net_infrastructure:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/network:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/notification:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/packaging:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/source_control:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/system:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/testing:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/utilities:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/web_infrastructure:/Users/will/src/ansible/library

FATAL: all hosts have already failed -- aborting

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************** 
           to retry, use: --limit @/Users/will/dummy.retry

127.0.0.1                  : ok=3    changed=0    unreachable=1    failed=0

results without -M

will@cheetah ansible]$ ansible-playbook dummy.yml 

PLAY [127.0.0.1] ************************************************************** 

GATHERING FACTS *************************************************************** 
ok: [127.0.0.1]

TASK: [dummy] ***************************************************************** 
fatal: [127.0.0.1] => module dummy not found in /Users/will/src/ansible/library/cloud:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/commands:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/database:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/files:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/internal:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/inventory:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/messaging:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/monitoring:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/net_infrastructure:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/network:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/notification:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/packaging:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/source_control:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/system:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/testing:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/utilities:/Users/will/src/ansible/library/web_infrastructure:/Users/will/src/ansible/library

FATAL: all hosts have already failed -- aborting

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************** 
           to retry, use: --limit @/Users/will/dummy.retry

127.0.0.1                  : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=1    failed=0