Playbook log output of different plays are intermixed

[fbruetting]

SUMMARY

When I run a playbook with several plays, the CLI output subdivides the log into all plays by these PLAY [<HOSTS>] ************************ dividing lines. Somehow, however, warnings about not matched host patterns are sorted in the play logs section of the preceeding play.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

ansible-playbook

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible 2.8.5
  config file = /var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/library']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python3.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.7.4 (default, Aug 12 2019, 14:45:07) [GCC 9.1.1 20190605 (Red Hat 9.1.1-2)]

CONFIGURATION

DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/ansible.cfg) = ['/var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/inventory/hosts']
DEFAULT_MODULE_PATH(/var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/ansible.cfg) = ['/var/home/frank/Projekte/Ansible/library']

OS / ENVIRONMENT

• Fedora Silverblue 31 beta

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Just run this playbook below via ansible-playbook <FILE>.

---
- hosts: host1
  gather_facts: no
  tasks:
    - name: Task 1
      local_action: command ping -c 3 localhost

- hosts: host2
  gather_facts: no
  tasks:
    - name: Task 2
      command: command ping -c 3 localhost

EXPECTED RESULTS

I expect all output of each play to be contained within its corresponding section.

ACTUAL RESULTS

As you can see below, the warnings are grouped above the corresponding section, instead of inside if it. So the output that host2 of the second play cannot be matched, is already printed before the second play starts. Would be cool if this could be fixed, as this aids error search, especially we as beginners would faster understand what’s going up.

> ansible-playbook test.yaml
 [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: host1


PLAY [host1] *************************************************************************
skipping: no hosts matched
 [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: host2


PLAY [host2] *************************************************************************
skipping: no hosts matched

PLAY RECAP ***************************************************************************

Instead, I would expect something like this:

> ansible-playbook test.yaml

PLAY [host1] *************************************************************************
 [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: host1
skipping: no hosts matched


PLAY [host2] *************************************************************************
 [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: host2
skipping: no hosts matched

PLAY RECAP ***************************************************************************

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Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/playbook

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[sivel]

The log messages are not intermixed, it is that the warning prints before the play header.

We may be able to move the warning after the play header, but it is possible that we can not move the warning that late, or the play header that early.

[fbruetting]

Ok, I understand your view, but the markup with the horizontal bars totally change that and cause a misleading perception – which is bad when people then take wrong paths at error-search. Maybe you may halt all play-related warnings and flush them after the play header if that is really necessary. Would really improve UX! :)