Yum module, add downloadonly and downloaddir options

[aroundthecode]

ISSUE TYPE

• Feature Idea

COMPONENT NAME

yum module

SUMMARY

add parameters to yum module to support downloadonly and downloaddir parameters

from yum install --help

--downloadonly don't update, just download
--downloaddir=DLDIR specifies an alternate directory to store packages

this is quite useful to use yum to download RPM packages once to be installed elsewhere (e.g. subnets with no direct internet access)

[MarkusTeufelberger]

You mean like #23220, just for yum?

[aroundthecode]

@MarkusTeufelberger yes, it's quite similar, but my focus is also on the fact that the downloaded packages should not simply be available on the yum local cache (which is the expected behaviour in the linked apt module ticket, or with only the downloadonly parameter) but downloaded on a desired location (the downloaddir parameter) to be easily managed afterwards.

Currently to do this simple step I have to relay on command module or upload bash script simply to add the two extra parameters to the yum command (this parameters afaik cannot be managed via yum configuration via external file, i.e. via conf_file module parameter ).

Probably a more generic "extra_args" to be passed to the yum command like the one available in the PIP module could do this (and many other) tricks.
With the extra_args i could simply invoke the yum module with "present" state including the 2 additional parameter an obtain the very same goal.

[spl]

Adding the --downloadonly, --downloaddir, and --releasever flags would allow one to use the yum module to do the trick I'm currently using command for, in which I download packages and create a local repository:

- name: Create managed-epel repository configuration
  yum_repository:
    name: managed-epel
    description: Managed EPEL - CentOS-$releasever
    baseurl: "file://{{managed_epel_repository_path}}/"
    gpgkey: file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-$releasever
    gpgcheck: yes
    enabled: yes

- name: Create temporary installroot
  shell: mktemp -d
  register: installroot

- name: Download ansible
  command: >
    yum install
      --downloadonly
      --releasever=/
      --installroot={{installroot.stdout}}
      --downloaddir={{managed_epel_repository_path}}
      --disablerepo=*
      --enablerepo=managed-centos-media,epel
      ansible

- name: Update managed-epel repository database
  command: createrepo --update --database {{managed_epel_repository_path}}

Of course, the change check for the --downloadonly option would be to check if the package was successfully downloaded, not if it was installed. (Currently, I do all of the above plus install the packages and check if the packages are installed.)

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[zhelanov]

+1 for this request.
It might be useful to be able to prepare environment on a machine where ansible installed: just download latest (!) versions of software from rpm repos to copy and install them on managed hosts which don't have (and must not have) access to that repos

[maxamillion]

FWIW I'm on board with the change but I don't see myself being able to prioritize it anytime soon. If anyone would like to contribute a pull request, I would be happy to review.

[dglinder]

For those like me who keep getting this page in their searches, in Ansible 2.7 the download_only: option has been added, and in 2.8 the download_dir: option was added:
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/yum_module.html

[MarkusTeufelberger]

And for everyone else in the future: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/yum_module.html