file module creates the file copy instead of creating symlink

[drew1kun]

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

file module

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.4.3.0
  config file = /Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = [u'/Users/drew/.ansible/plugins/modules', u'/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/local/Cellar/ansible/2.4.3.0/libexec/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
  python version = 2.7.10 (default, Jul 15 2017, 17:16:57) [GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple LLVM 9.0.0 (clang-900.0.31)]

CONFIGURATION

DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/ansible.cfg) = [u'/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/hosts']
DEFAULT_SCP_IF_SSH(/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/ansible.cfg) = True
DEFAULT_STDOUT_CALLBACK(/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/ansible.cfg) = skippy
DEFAULT_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE(/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/ansible.cfg) = /Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/.vault.key

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Management Host:

$ uname -a
Darwin macpro.bearden.local 17.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 17.3.0: Thu Nov  9 18:09:22 PST 2017; root:xnu-4570.31.3~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

Managed Host:

uname -a
Linux raspberry.localdomain 4.14.34-v8+ #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Apr 21 18:49:26 UTC 2018 aarch64 GNU/Linux

SUMMARY

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

tasks/main.yml:

- name: "Create softlink for autologin"
  file:
    src: /etc/systemd/system/autologin@.service
    dest: /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service
    state: link
  become: yes

EXPECTED RESULTS

First iteration:

TASK [drew-kun.pihole : Create softlink for autologin] ***********************************************************************************
Changed: [rpi]

Check (on Managed host):

$ ll /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 24 22:01 /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service -> /etc/systemd/system/autologin@.service

Second pass (idempotent):

TASK [drew-kun.pihole : Create softlink for autologin] ***********************************************************************************
OK: [rpi]

ACTUAL RESULTS

First iteration:

TASK [drew-kun.pihole : Create softlink for autologin] ***********************************************************************************
Changed: [rpi]

Check (on Managed host) [Not a symlink]:

$ ll /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1.6K Apr 24 22:01 /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service

Second pass (FAILED):

TASK [drew-kun.pihole : Create softlink for autologin] ***********************************************************************************
task path: /Users/drew/.ansible/roles/drew-kun.pihole/tasks/pitft.yml:27
Using module file /usr/local/Cellar/ansible/2.4.3.0/libexec/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible/modules/files/file.py
<172.16.42.8> ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: drew
<172.16.42.8> SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=drew -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/Users/drew/.ansible/cp/5bd1930347 172.16.42.8 '/bin/sh -c '"'"'echo ~ && sleep 0'"'"''
<172.16.42.8> (0, '/home/drew\n', 'OpenSSH_7.6p1, LibreSSL 2.6.2\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /Users/drew/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: /Users/drew/.ssh/config line 1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 48: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2: mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3: mux_client_forwards: request forwardings: 0 local, 0 remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done pid = 42867\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug3: mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received exit status from master 0\r\n')
<172.16.42.8> ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: drew
<172.16.42.8> SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=drew -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/Users/drew/.ansible/cp/5bd1930347 172.16.42.8 '/bin/sh -c '"'"'( umask 77 && mkdir -p "` echo /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040 `" && echo ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040="` echo /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040 `" ) && sleep 0'"'"''
<172.16.42.8> (0, 'ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040=/home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040\n', 'OpenSSH_7.6p1, LibreSSL 2.6.2\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /Users/drew/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: /Users/drew/.ssh/config line 1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 48: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2: mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3: mux_client_forwards: request forwardings: 0 local, 0 remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done pid = 42867\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug3: mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received exit status from master 0\r\n')
<172.16.42.8> PUT /var/folders/2c/m_z3y5gs3fz1m2b2lwzk7yl80000gn/T/tmp4XOKZ2 TO /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/file.py
<172.16.42.8> SSH: EXEC scp -vvv -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=drew -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/Users/drew/.ansible/cp/5bd1930347 /var/folders/2c/m_z3y5gs3fz1m2b2lwzk7yl80000gn/T/tmp4XOKZ2 '[172.16.42.8]:/home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/file.py'
<172.16.42.8> (0, '', 'Executing: program /usr/bin/ssh host 172.16.42.8, user (unspecified), command scp -v -t /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/file.py\nOpenSSH_7.6p1, LibreSSL 2.6.2\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /Users/drew/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: /Users/drew/.ssh/config line 1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 48: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2: mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3: mux_client_forwards: request forwardings: 0 local, 0 remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done pid = 42867\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\nSending file modes: C0600 70076 tmp4XOKZ2\nSink: C0600 70076 tmp4XOKZ2\ndebug3: mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received exit status from master 0\r\n')
<172.16.42.8> ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: drew
<172.16.42.8> SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=drew -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/Users/drew/.ansible/cp/5bd1930347 172.16.42.8 '/bin/sh -c '"'"'chmod u+x /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/ /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/file.py && sleep 0'"'"''
<172.16.42.8> (0, '', 'OpenSSH_7.6p1, LibreSSL 2.6.2\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /Users/drew/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: /Users/drew/.ssh/config line 1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 48: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2: mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3: mux_client_forwards: request forwardings: 0 local, 0 remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done pid = 42867\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug3: mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received exit status from master 0\r\n')
<172.16.42.8> ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: drew
<172.16.42.8> SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=drew -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/Users/drew/.ansible/cp/5bd1930347 -tt 172.16.42.8 '/bin/sh -c '"'"'sudo -H -S -n -u root /bin/sh -c '"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'echo BECOME-SUCCESS-vfjamzbqsvpmtdwktrjuhebiakowtrnr; /usr/bin/python /home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/file.py; rm -rf "/home/drew/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1524630795.33-58172408725040/" > /dev/null 2>&1'"'"'"'"'"'"'"'"' && sleep 0'"'"''
<172.16.42.8> (0, '\r\n{"group": "root", "uid": 0, "failed": true, "state": "file", "gid": 0, "mode": "0644", "invocation": {"module_args": {"directory_mode": null, "force": false, "remote_src": null, "path": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service", "owner": null, "follow": false, "group": null, "unsafe_writes": null, "state": "link", "content": null, "serole": null, "diff_peek": null, "setype": null, "dest": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service", "selevel": null, "original_basename": null, "regexp": null, "validate": null, "src": "/etc/systemd/system/autologin@.service", "seuser": null, "recurse": false, "delimiter": null, "mode": null, "attributes": null, "backup": null}}, "owner": "root", "path": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service", "size": 1551, "msg": "refusing to convert between file and link for /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service"}\r\n', 'OpenSSH_7.6p1, LibreSSL 2.6.2\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /Users/drew/.ssh/config\r\ndebug1: /Users/drew/.ssh/config line 1: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config\r\ndebug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 48: Applying options for *\r\ndebug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master\r\ndebug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK\r\ndebug2: mux_client_hello_exchange: master version 4\r\ndebug3: mux_client_forwards: request forwardings: 0 local, 0 remote\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: entering\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_alive: done pid = 42867\r\ndebug3: mux_client_request_session: session request sent\r\ndebug1: mux_client_request_session: master session id: 2\r\ndebug3: mux_client_read_packet: read header failed: Broken pipe\r\ndebug2: Received exit status from master 0\r\nShared connection to 172.16.42.8 closed.\r\n')
fatal: [rpi]: FAILED! => {
    "changed": false,
    "gid": 0,
    "group": "root",
    "invocation": {
        "module_args": {
            "attributes": null,
            "backup": null,
            "content": null,
            "delimiter": null,
            "dest": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service",
            "diff_peek": null,
            "directory_mode": null,
            "follow": false,
            "force": false,
            "group": null,
            "mode": null,
            "original_basename": null,
            "owner": null,
            "path": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service",
            "recurse": false,
            "regexp": null,
            "remote_src": null,
            "selevel": null,
            "serole": null,
            "setype": null,
            "seuser": null,
            "src": "/etc/systemd/system/autologin@.service",
            "state": "link",
            "unsafe_writes": null,
            "validate": null
        }
    },
    "mode": "0644",
    "msg": "refusing to convert between file and link for /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service",
    "owner": "root",
    "path": "/etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service",
    "size": 1551,
    "state": "file",
    "uid": 0
}
	to retry, use: --limit @/Users/drew/SynologyDrive/rpi-scripts/ansible/bootstrap.linux.retry

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************************************************************************************
rpi                        : ok=4    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=1

[ansibot]

Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/modules/files/file.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

[ansibot]

Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/modules/file.py

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

click here for bot help

[mkrizek]

@drew-kun I was not able to reproduce this issue. Is it still something you are seeing with recent versions of Ansible?

needs_info

[drew1kun]

It's been a while.. I guess the issue has been gone...

[mkrizek]

Closing per above.