with_items flattening nested environments to top level instead of using most nested

[chamila-c]

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

core
(with_items and nested environments)

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.4.1.0
  config file = /home/centos/repos/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = [u'/home/centos/.ansible/plugins/modules', u'/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 2.7.5 (default, Aug  4 2017, 00:39:18) [GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-16)]

CONFIGURATION

> ansible-config dump --only-changed
ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR(/home/centos/repos/ansible/ansible.cfg) = True
RETRY_FILES_ENABLED(/home/centos/repos/ansible/ansible.cfg) = False

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Control + Remote (local playbook):
Centos 7

> uname -sr
Linux 3.10.0-693.5.2.el7.x86_64

SUMMARY

Use of with_items in a command task that runs within a nested set of environments is flattening the nesting and reverting to the top level environment instead of keeping the most nested environment

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Create the below files in a single directory and then run this command from within that directory:
SHELL_ENV_VAR=shell_env_var SHARED_ENV_VAR=shell_env_var ansible-playbook playbook.yml -i localhost, -c local -v

ansible.cfg

[defaults]
force_color=1
retry_files_enabled=False

playbook.yml

---
- hosts: all
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:
    - debug: msg="This is the playbook level"

    - import_tasks: first-level-tasks.yml
      environment:
        PLAYBOOK_ENV_VAR: "playbook_env_var"
        SHARED_ENV_VAR: "playbook_env_var"

first-level-tasks.yml

    - debug: msg="This is the first level tasks"

    - import_tasks: second-level-tasks.yml
      environment:
        LVL1_ENV_VAR: "lvl1_env_var"
        SHARED_ENV_VAR: "lvl1_env_var"

second-level-tasks.yml

    - debug: msg="This is the second level tasks"

    - name: Command singular
      command: "echo Shell: \"${SHELL_ENV_VAR}\"; Playbook: \"${PLAYBOOK_ENV_VAR}\"; Lvl1: \"${LVL1_ENV_VAR}\"; Shared: \"${SHARED_ENV_VAR}\""

    - name: Command with items
      command: "echo Shell: \"${SHELL_ENV_VAR}\"; Playbook: \"${PLAYBOOK_ENV_VAR}\"; Lvl1: \"${LVL1_ENV_VAR}\"; Shared: \"${SHARED_ENV_VAR}\""
      with_items:
        - 1

EXPECTED RESULTS

The command stdout/stdout_lines from both tasks in second-level-tasks.yml (TASK [Command singular] and TASK [Command with items]) should be identical

ACTUAL RESULTS

The addition of with_items: [1] (which should be a non-semantic change to a command that doesn't actually reference the {{ item }}s) causes the output of the task to change. It appears that the nested environment is reverting to the top-level (i.e. playbook level) environment when with_items is used (see playbook output below)

Using /home/centos/repos/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file

PLAY [all] ***************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "This is the playbook level"
}

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "This is the first level tasks"
}

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "This is the second level tasks"
}

TASK [Command singular] **************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost] => {"changed": true, "cmd": ["echo", "Shell:", "${SHELL_ENV_VAR};", "Playbook:", "${PLAYBOOK_ENV_VAR};", "Lvl1:", "${LVL1_ENV_VAR};", "Shared:", "${SHARED_ENV_VAR}"], "delta": "0:00:00.014676", "end": "2017-11-29 09:02:18.033588", "failed": false, "rc": 0, "start": "2017-11-29 09:02:18.018912", "stderr": "", "stderr_lines": [], "stdout": "Shell: shell_env_var; Playbook: playbook_env_var; Lvl1: lvl1_env_var; Shared: lvl1_env_var", "stdout_lines": ["Shell: shell_env_var; Playbook: playbook_env_var; Lvl1: lvl1_env_var; Shared: lvl1_env_var"]}

TASK [Command with items] ************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=1) => {"changed": true, "cmd": ["echo", "Shell:", "${SHELL_ENV_VAR};", "Playbook:", "${PLAYBOOK_ENV_VAR};", "Lvl1:", "${LVL1_ENV_VAR};", "Shared:", "${SHARED_ENV_VAR}"], "delta": "0:00:00.005918", "end": "2017-11-29 09:02:18.384945", "failed": false, "item": 1, "rc": 0, "start": "2017-11-29 09:02:18.379027", "stderr": "", "stderr_lines": [], "stdout": "Shell: shell_env_var; Playbook: playbook_env_var; Lvl1: lvl1_env_var; Shared: playbook_env_var", "stdout_lines": ["Shell: shell_env_var; Playbook: playbook_env_var; Lvl1: lvl1_env_var; Shared: playbook_env_var"]}

PLAY RECAP ***************************************************************************************************************************************************
localhost                 : ok=5    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0   

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[wimnat]

I face a similar issue. Example playbook to demonstate problem:

---
- name: Test play to demonstate environment failing in loop
  hosts: local
  connection: local
  vars:
    alist:
      - item1
      - item2
  tasks:
    - shell: echo $MYVAR

    - shell: echo $MYVAR
      environment:
        MYVAR: override_helloworld

    - shell: echo $MYVAR
      environment:
        MYVAR: override_helloworld_with_a_list
      with_items: alist

  environment:
    MYVAR: helloworld

When you run the play i would expect an output of 'override_helloworld_with_a_list' when i reach the with_items task but i actually get 'helloworld'.

[sivel]

I've bisected this to df5895e / 34511d1

[sivel]

Closing as a duplicate of #32685