Loading environment variables from YAML file (using include_vars) in Ansible - ansible

Question

I am trying to load variables from a YAML file to be used as environment variables in a later task of the same playbook. This is what I am doing:
Template host vars in YAML format:
- name: builtin | template | template host variables file
ansible.builtin.template:
src: templates/django/hostvars.j2
dest: "host_vars/{{ inventory_hostname_short }}.yml"
mode: 0640
output_encoding: "utf-8"
delegate_to: localhost
This is producing the following file:
--
# Host variables to be set as environment variables in tasks that need it
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: "<password>"
POSTGRES_USER: "dbuser"
POSTGRES_DB: "dbname"
POSTGRES_HOST: "dbhost"
POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
POSTGRES_SSLMODE: "verify-full"
POSTGRES_SSLCA: "/etc/ssl/certs/ISRG_Root_X1.pem"
POSTGRES_APPNAME: "myproject"
DJANGO_SITE_NAME: "mysite"
DJANGO_SITE_PASSWORD: "mypassword"
DJANGO_SITE_USER: "myuser"
DJANGO_SITE_ID: 2
DJANGO_SECRET_KEY: "<very-long-and-random-secret>"
[..]
Use include_vars to load the vars into the playbook:
- name: builtin | include_vars | load host vars
ansible.builtin.include_vars:
file: "host_vars/{{ inventory_hostname_short }}.yml"
name: envvars
Later on the playbook, check that the variables are there:
- name: builtin | debug | print variable 'envvars'
ansible.builtin.debug:
var: envvars
This is working as intended (apparently) and a list of KEY: value variables is being printed, such as:
TASK [builtin | debug | print variable 'envvars'] ***************************************************************
ok: [django1.mydomain.com] => {
"envvars": {
"DJANGO_DEBUG": 0,
"DJANGO_LOGS_DIR": "/opt/django/logs",
"DJANGO_MEDIA_BASE": "/opt/django/media",
"DJANGO_SECRET_KEY": "<very-long-and-random-secret>",
[..]
Use django_manage to update the database schema:
- name: community.general | django_manage | update database schema
community.general.django_manage:
command: migrate
settings: myproject.settings
project_path: "/opt/django/src"
virtualenv: "/opt/django/venv"
become: true
become_user: django
become_method: su
environment: "{{ envvars }}"
This, unfortunately, is failing. Django is complaining that it cannot find the SECRET_KEY environment variable, which it should build based on one of the variables in the abovementioned list (especifically, DJANGO_SECRET_KEY).
Incidentally, if I run the following task, nothing is printed out:
- name: print environment variables
ansible.builtin.command: env
become: true
become_user: django
become_method: su
environment: "{{ envvars }}"
And I don't understand why. I've tried to debug using -vvv and they are being sent by Ansible though the SSH connection (at least so it seems).
Any hints on what bit I am doing wrong?
EDIT 1
I've changed the tasks list file where I use django_manage into the following code:
- name: builtin | shell | capture DJANGO_ environment variables
debugger: on_failed
ansible.builtin.shell:
cmd: "env | grep DJANGO_"
register: out
environment: "{{ envvars }}"
become: true
become_user: django
become_method: su
- name: builtin | debug | pinrt content of out.stdout
ansible.builtin.debug:
var: out.stdout
- name: builtin | debug | print variable 'envvars'
ansible.builtin.debug:
var: envvars
- name: community.general | django_manage | populate the static subdirectory
community.general.django_manage:
command: collectstatic
clear: yes
project_path: "/opt/django/src"
virtualenv: "/opt/django/venv"
become: true
become_user: django
become_method: su
environment: "{{ envvars }}"
The second and third tasks both print the values of the variables (the first one from the env | grep DJANGO_ command sent via shell and the second is the value of the envvars variable which is being sent via the environment: directive.
This is the error of the last task:
TASK [builtin | shell | capture DJANGO_ environment variables] *************************************************************************************************************
changed: [django1.donmain.com]
TASK [builtin | debug | pinrt content of out.stdout] ***********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [django1.django.com] => {
"out.stdout": "DJANGO_SITE_USER=mysite\nDJANGO_MEDIA_BASE=/opt/django/media\nDJANGO_SITE_NAME=mysite\nDJANGO_SITE_ID=2\nDJANGO_SECRET_KEY=<very-secret-key>\nDJANGO_LOGS_DIR=/opt/django/logs\nDJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=myproject.settings.production\nDJANGO_DEBUG=0\nDJANGO_STATIC_BASE=/opt/django/static\nDJANGO_SITE_PASSWORD=mypassword\nDJANGO_SITE_VERSION=57a2f3c168d86243f03809e5d02a0f50a8fa892e"
}
TASK [builtin | debug | print variable 'envvars'] **************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [django1.domain.com] => {
"envvars": {
"DJANGO_DEBUG": 0,
"DJANGO_LOGS_DIR": "/opt/django/logs",
"DJANGO_MEDIA_BASE": "/opt/django/media",
"DJANGO_SECRET_KEY": "<very-secret-key>",
"DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE": "myproject.settings.production",
"DJANGO_SITE_ID": 2,
"DJANGO_SITE_NAME": "mysite",
"DJANGO_SITE_PASSWORD": "mypassword",
"DJANGO_SITE_USER": "myuser",
[..]
}
}
TASK [community.general | django_manage | populate the static subdirectory] ************************************************************************************************
fatal: [django1.domain.com]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "cmd": ["./manage.py", "collectstatic", "--noinput", "--clear"], "msg": "\n:stderr: Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py\", line 204, in fetch_command\n app_name = commands[subcommand]\nKeyError: 'collectstatic'\n\nDuring handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:\n\nTraceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/opt/django/src/./manage.py\", line 22, in <module>\n execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py\", line 381, in execute_from_command_line\n utility.execute()\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py\", line 375, in execute\n self.fetch_command(subcommand).run_from_argv(self.argv)\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py\", line 211, in fetch_command\n settings.INSTALLED_APPS\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py\", line 57, in __getattr__\n self._setup(name)\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py\", line 44, in _setup\n self._wrapped = Settings(settings_module)\n File \"/opt/django/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py\", line 107, in __init__\n mod = importlib.import_module(self.SETTINGS_MODULE)\n File \"/usr/lib/python3.9/importlib/__init__.py\", line 127, in import_module\n return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap>\", line 1030, in _gcd_import\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap>\", line 1007, in _find_and_load\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap>\", line 986, in _find_and_load_unlocked\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap>\", line 680, in _load_unlocked\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>\", line 790, in exec_module\n File \"<frozen importlib._bootstrap>\", line 228, in _call_with_frames_removed\n File \"/opt/django/src/black_pearl/settings/production.py\", line 3, in <module>\n from black_pearl.settings.common import *\n File \"/opt/django/src/black_pearl/settings/common.py\", line 301, in <module>\n path_app = import_module(app).__path__\n File \"/usr/lib/python3.9/importlib/__init__.py\", line 127, in import_module\n return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)\nModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'None'\n", "path": "/opt/django/venv/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin", "syspath": ["/tmp/ansible_community.general.django_manage_payload_l53eeo4g/ansible_community.general.django_manage_payload.zip", "/usr/lib/python39.zip", "/usr/lib/python3.9", "/usr/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload", "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages", "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages"]}
PLAY RECAP *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
django1.domain.com : ok=14 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Q: "Nothing is printed out."
A: Register the output if you want to see it. For example
- hosts: localhost
tasks:
- command: echo $DJANGO_DEBUG
register: out
environment:
DJANGO_DEBUG: 0
- debug:
var: out.stdout
gives (abridged)
out.stdout: '0'
This should work for you. Step by step add the complexity to your code and isolate the problem. For example, the playbook below should display the environment at the remote host
- hosts: test_11
vars:
env:
DJANGO_DEBUG: 0
DJANGO_SITE_NAME: mysite
DJANGO_SITE_PASSWORD: mypassword
DJANGO_SITE_USER: myuser
DJANGO_SITE_ID: 2
tasks:
- shell: env | grep DJANGO_
register: out
environment: "{{ env }}"
- debug:
var: out.stdout