Handler not found in included role when using variable in name and variable is defined in inventory or host_vars

[Pitmairen]

SUMMARY

If a role is included and it defines a handler that is using a variable in the handler's name, the handler is not found in some situations, it depends on where the variable is defined.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

handlers

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.7.1
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/home/abc/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python3.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.7.1 (default, Oct 22 2018, 10:41:28) [GCC 8.2.1 20180831]

ansible 2.8.0.dev0 (devel fccbbf3405) last updated 2018/11/10 08:41:20 (GMT +200)
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/home/abc/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/abc/handler-bug/ansible/lib/ansible
  executable location = /home/abc/handler-bug/ansible/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.7.1 (default, Oct 22 2018, 10:41:28) [GCC 8.2.1 20180831]

CONFIGURATION

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Control machine Arch linux
Targets: all

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Run the bug.yml playbook from this repository: https://github.com/Pitmairen/ansbile-handlers-bug

If the variables are defined in the hosts file or the host_vars file (service3 in example) the play crashes with the error: ERROR! The requested handler '...' was not found:

ansible-playbook -i hosts bug.yml

If the variables are defined in the playbook file or on the command line it works fine.

ansible-playbook -i hosts bug.yml --extra-vars service3_name=service3

EXPECTED RESULTS

All handlers are found

ACTUAL RESULTS

PLAY [Ansible handler bug] *****************************************************************************************

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

TASK [include_role : role1] ****************************************************************************************

TASK [role1 : Test service1] ***************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [include_role : role1] ****************************************************************************************

TASK [role1 : Test service2] ***************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [include_role : role1] ****************************************************************************************

TASK [role1 : Test service3] ***************************************************************************************
ERROR! The requested handler 'restart service3' was not found in either the main handlers list nor in the listeninghandlers list

[ansibot]

Hi @Pitmairen, thank you for submitting this issue!

click here for bot help

[ansibot]

Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/playbook/handler.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

[astik]

Argh, i've been working also on this bug and have taken too much time to submit it (i have marked my bug report as a duplicate of yours).
My analysis leads to the same conclusion.
I also have created a project with demo that show the problem : https://github.com/astik/ansible-role-variable-and-multi-instanciation.

[bcoca]

Possible Misunderstanding

Hi!

Thanks very much for your submission to Ansible. It sincerely means a lot to us.

We believe the ticket you have filed is being somewhat misunderstood, as one thing works a little differently than stated.

In the future, this might be a topic more well suited for the user list, which you can also post here if you'd like some more help with the above.

Task names (including handlers) cannot depend on a host var as they need to be the same for all hosts, it does not matter that you use the 'all' group as that is still flattened and 'per host'.

• https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ansible-project

Thank you once again for this and your interest in Ansible!