template module failes with "Failed to get information on remote file "

[rdxmb]

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

Module: template

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.4.2.0
  config file = /home/marc/repos/docker-swarm/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = [u'/usr/share/ansible']
  ansible python module location = /home/marc/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 2.7.14 (default, Sep 23 2017, 22:06:14) [GCC 7.2.0]

CONFIGURATION ansible.cfg

~/repos/docker-swarm$[master !] grep -v '#' ansible.cfg 
[privilege_escalation]
become=True
become_method=sudo
become_user=root
become_ask_pass=False
[defaults]
library        = /usr/share/ansible
remote_tmp     = $HOME/.ansible/tmp
pattern        = *
forks          = 5
poll_interval  = 15
ask_pass      = False
transport      = smart
remote_port    = 22
module_lang    = C
gathering = smart 
roles_path = roles:/tmp/galaxy_roles
host_key_checking = False
timeout = 50 
action_plugins     = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/action_plugins
callback_plugins   = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/callback_plugins
connection_plugins = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/connection_plugins
lookup_plugins     = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/lookup_plugins
vars_plugins       = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/vars_plugins
filter_plugins     = /usr/share/ansible_plugins/filter_plugins
[ssh_connection]
ssh_args = -o ForwardAgent=yes

OS / ENVIRONMENT

local: Ubuntu 17.10 / Alpine 3.6 (problems exists with both environments)
remote: Ubuntu 16.04 TLS

SUMMARY

On one host the task with the template module fails with
"msg": "Failed to get information on remote file

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

# cat roles/etc_hosts/templates/mbr.intern.j2 
# {{ ansible_managed }}

127.0.0.1       localhost
127.0.1.1       {{ ansible_hostname }}.mbr.intern {{ ansible_hostname }}

192.168.253.101 docker1.mbr.intern docker1
192.168.253.102 docker2.mbr.intern docker2
192.168.253.110 docker3.mbr.intern docker3
192.168.253.100 nfs.mbr.intern nfs
192.168.253.99  vip.mbr.intern vip

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1     localhost ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters

# cat site.yml 
---
- name: prepare the remote-hosts for using ansible
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: no
  # do not gather_facts for python2 is probably not installed yet 
  pre_tasks:
    - name: install python2 via raw module
      raw: dpkg -s {{ item }} || apt-get install -y {{ item }}
      args:
        executable: /bin/bash
      with_items:
        - python2.7
        - python-simplejson
        - aptitude


- name: run
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: yes
  roles:      
      - etc_hosts  
           
# -----------------------------------------------------------------

# cat mbr/inventory 
[dc1]
docker1   ansible_ssh_host=192.168.253.101
docker2   ansible_ssh_host=192.168.253.102
docker3   ansible_ssh_host=192.168.253.110
nfs       ansible_ssh_host=192.168.253.100

# cat roles/etc_hosts/tasks/main.yml 
---
- name: generate /etc/hosts for this domain
  template:
    src: "mbr.intern.j2"
    dest: /etc/hosts

# cat roles/etc_hosts/templates/mbr.intern.j2 
# {{ ansible_managed }}

127.0.0.1       localhost
127.0.1.1       {{ ansible_hostname }}.mbr.intern {{ ansible_hostname }}

192.168.253.101 docker1.mbr.intern docker1
192.168.253.102 docker2.mbr.intern docker2
192.168.253.110 docker3.mbr.intern docker3
192.168.253.100 nfs.mbr.intern nfs
192.168.253.99  vip.mbr.intern vip

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1     localhost ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters

EXPECTED RESULTS

PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
docker1                    : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   
docker2                    : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   
docker3                    : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0
nfs                        : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   

ACTUAL RESULTS

PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
docker1                    : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   
docker2                    : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   
docker3                    : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=1   
nfs                        : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0   

The debug output can be found here:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rdxmb/ansible_debug/master/ansible.log

[ansibot]

Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/modules/files/template.py

If these files are inaccurate, please update the component name section of the description or use the !component bot command.

click here for bot help

[rdxmb]

if you need any further information, please let me know

[rdxmb]

ok, the real step to reproduce this is:

• on your remote system, run

touch /usr/local/bin/file
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/file

run your ansible-playbook.

So the solution for that is (on your remote machine):
rm /usr/local/bin/file

Issue closed ...

[mitpwd]

Hi rdxmd,

You just commented how to reproduce the issue. What is the fix?

[rdxmb]

So the solution for that is (on your remote machine):
rm /usr/local/bin/file

:)

[mitpwd]

It did not fix the issue with me.

We had an issue on a MacOS client, but not on CentOS 7.
Both used Python 2.7, one 2.7.10, one 2.7.5.

We can still reproduce the issue on the MacOS.

[mitpwd]

Searching through the search engine, it appears the error (Failed to get information on remote file) message is too 'generic', it does not tell me in 'Linux' known errors what is not possible.

We walked through the playbook manually and all worked fine.

[MBoretto]

Any news concerning the fix?

[gaozhidf]

ansbile 2.5, server and client are Ubuntu 16.04

fixed problem when I install python2.7 on the client - Ubuntu

[gitqlt]

ansible 2.5.0
server and client are: Ubuntu 16.04, Python2.7.12

Cannot create (or replace) file, when become to unprivileged user. It seems that allow_world_readable_tmpfiles = True is ineffective.
Even with pipelining = True, the same problem exists with a temporary file: the user cannot read/execute the temporary file

chmod u+x /root/.ansible/tmp/...
-rwx------ 1 root root 76768 Apr 19 00:57 /root/.ansible/tmp/...

comment better in #16052 (comment)

[Pax-nl]

Ran into the same issue today.

error: FAILED! => {"failed": true, "msg": "Failed to get information on remote file
ansible: 2.4.4.0
ubuntu: 17.10 server clean install only ssh-server.

The default python on this clean Ubuntu server install is python3 and there is no symlink configured for python without a version number.

$ python --version
The program 'python' can be found in the following packages:
 * python-minimal
 * python3
Try: sudo apt install <selected package>

so no python by default, tried this command to fix this:

$ sudo update-alternatives --config python
update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for python

still no default python, found fix for alternatives issue:

$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 10
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/python3 to provide /usr/bin/python (python) in auto mode

which gave me:

$ python --version
Python 3.5.2

and now the playbook runs fine:

10.0.xx.xx                 : ok=5    changed=4    unreachable=0    failed=0

In retrospect I think I could have solved this also by adding this to my hosts file:

ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python3

[gitqlt]

@paxpacis This issue is closed. I commented in
#16052 (comment)