include_role overrides variables from previous role

[clvx]

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report
• Documentation Report

container.yml

$tree                                                   
.                                                       
├── inventory                                           
├── roles                                               
│   ├── dummy1                                          
│   │   ├── defaults                                    
│   │   │   └── main.yml                                
│   │   ├── files                                       
│   │   │   └── foo.conf.j2                             
│   │   └── tasks                                       
│   │       └── main.yml                                
│   └── dummy2                                          
│       ├── files                                       
│       └── tasks                                       
│           └── main.yml                                                              
└── test.yml           

$find . -type f -print -exec cat {} \; | grep -v '.git'
./test.yml
---
- hosts: lab
  roles:
    - roles/dummy1
./roles/dummy2/tasks/main.yml
---

- name: Debuggin variables
  debug:
    msg: "{{ role_dir }}/files/{{ vhost_name }}.conf.j2"

- name: Copying file files/
  template:
    src: "{{ role_dir }}/files/{{ vhost_name }}.conf.j2"
    dest: "{{ role_path }}/files/{{ vhost_name }}.conf"
./roles/dummy1/files/foo.conf.j2
echo {{ bar }}
./roles/dummy1/tasks/main.yml
---

- name: debug role path
  debug:
    msg: "{{ role_location }}"


- name: Calling dummy2
  include_role:
    name: dummy2
    private: True
  vars:
    role_dir: "{{ role_location }}"
    vhost_name: "{{ service_name }}"
./roles/dummy1/defaults/main.yml
---

service_name: foo
bar: "{{ service_name }}"
role_location: "{{ role_path }}"
./inventory
[lab]
127.0.0.1

COMPONENT NAME

lib/ansible/modules/utilties/logic/include_role.py

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.4.2.0

OS / ENVIRONMENT

$cat /etc/os-release 
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="17.10 (Artful Aardvark)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 17.10"
VERSION_ID="17.10"
VERSION_CODENAME=artful
UBUNTU_CODENAME=artful

SUMMARY

include_role doesn't reads variables from role dummy1 instead of dummy2. In this case role_location is defined in dummy1 but not in dummy2.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

$ansible-playbook test.yml -i inventory -k
SSH password: 

PLAY [lab] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [127.0.0.1]

TASK [roles/dummy1 : debug role path] *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [127.0.0.1] => {
    "msg": "/tmp/lab/roles/dummy1"
}

TASK [roles/dummy1 : Calling dummy2] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [dummy2 : Debuggin variables] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [127.0.0.1] => {
    "msg": "/tmp/lab/roles/dummy2/files/foo.conf.j2"
}

TASK [dummy2 : Copying file files/] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [127.0.0.1]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "msg": "Could not find or access '/tmp/lab/roles/dummy2/files/foo.conf.j2'"}
        to retry, use: --limit @/tmp/lab/test.retry

PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
127.0.0.1                  : ok=3    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=1   

EXPECTED RESULTS

Success.

roles/dummy1/files/foo.conf should be deployed with echo foo.

ACTUAL RESULTS

TASK [dummy2 : Copying file files/] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [127.0.0.1]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "msg": "Could not find or access '/tmp/lab/roles/dummy2/files/foo.conf.j2'"}

[ansibot]

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[alikins]

pinging @bcoca

[alikins]

@clvx Was this working prior to version 2.4.2.0 ?

[clvx]

@alikins I've only tested it with ansible 2.4.2. I haven't verifeid with older ansible versions.

[mmhelm]

I came across the same issue (ansible 2.7.6) ...
Nevertheless there's a workaround. You can use set_fact in order to create a variable in advance that you can pass to the include_role task.

./roles/dummy1/tasks/main.yml
---
- name: workaround
  set_fact:
    role_location: "{{ role_path }}"

- name: debug role path
  debug:
    msg: "{{ role_location }}"

- name: Calling dummy2
  include_role:
    name: dummy2
    private: True
  vars:
    role_dir: "{{ role_location }}"
    vhost_name: "{{ service_name }}"
---

As you already pointed out in your example, defining the variable in the defaults file won't work. You need to use set_fact.

[samdoran]

Duplicate of #47606
Possibly fixed by #69040, which would be a breaking change.

[s-hertel]

It looks like this is not a roles variable scoping issue, so #69040 will not fix it. This happens since Ansible uses lazy evaluation for variables and role_path is an internal variable that is always supposed to reflect the current role path. set_fact is a workaround, since it forces variable evaluation. I think this is a duplicate of #10374 and I'm going to close this so we can track it in one place.