Fails check --list-hosts when hosts get value with a variable

[fran-expertice]

Summary

When I trie to check hosts into playbook (flag --list-hosts), trigger a error. This playbook get the next line: host: "{{ myvar_hosts }}"

Issue Type

Bug Report

Component Name

ansible-playbook --list-hosts

Ansible Version

ansible 2.9.19
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = [u'/home/fran-robles/.ansible/plugins/modules', u'/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /bin/ansible
  python version = 2.7.5 (default, Aug 13 2020, 02:51:10) [GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-39)]

Configuration

ansible-config dump --only-changed
COLLECTIONS_PATHS(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = [u'/etc/ansible/ansible_collections']

OS / Environment

RHEL 7.9

Steps to Reproduce

ansible-playbook ping_pong.yml -i ../inventario.ini --list-hosts -vvv

Expected Results

I expected a promt for input inventory value and then show hosts or hosts-groups involve from the inventory file.

for example:

1. After input value in var_promt (inventory)

2. Show:

playbook: ping_pong.yml

play #1 (localhost): Ping Pong TAGS: []
pattern: [u'localhost']
hosts (1):
localhost

Actual Results

ansible-playbook 2.9.19
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = [u'/home/fran-robles/.ansible/plugins/modules', u'/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /bin/ansible-playbook
  python version = 2.7.5 (default, Aug 13 2020, 02:51:10) [GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-39)]
Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file
host_list declined parsing /opt/ansible-project/inventario.ini as it did not pass its verify_file() method
auto declined parsing /opt/ansible-project/inventario.ini as it did not pass its verify_file() method
yaml declined parsing /opt/ansible-project/inventario.ini as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Parsed /opt/ansible-project/inventario.ini inventory source with ini plugin
1 plays in ping_pong.yml
Read vars_file '../vars/external_vars.yml'
Read vars_file '../vars/external_vars.yml'

**playbook: ping_pong.yml
ERROR! Unexpected Exception, this is probably a bug:
the full traceback was:**

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/bin/ansible-playbook", line 123, in <module>
    exit_code = cli.run()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible/cli/playbook.py", line 141, in run
    msg = "\n  play #%d (%s): %s" % (idx + 1, ','.join(play.hosts), play.name)
TypeError

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow the Ansible Code of Conduct

[ansibot]

Files identified in the description:

• lib/ansible/playbook

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[bcoca]

can you provide a full reproducer (the source of ping_pong.yml for example)?

needs_info

[fran-expertice]

Thanks for answering.

Here:

---
- name: "Ping Pong"
  hosts: "{{ var_inventario }}"
  gather_facts: false
  remote_user: "{{ ansible_user }}"
  vars_files:
    - ../vars/external_vars.yml
  vars_prompt:
  - name: var_inventario
    prompt: "Enter host or group host stored inside inventory file"
    private: no
  tasks:
  - name: "Checking healt...."
    ansible.builtin.ping:
     data:

[bcoca]

--list-hosts won't execute vars_prompt,that is why the variable will be undefined unless you pass it as an extra var

[fran-expertice]

okay, instead var_prompt better extra var? for now?

Can ansible evaluates --list-hosts after launch the var_prompt? to future, I mean.

regard.

[nitzmahone]

The behavior is probably not going to change, but the fact that we're displaying a Traceback instead of an error message is probably a bug...

[bcoca]

probably not, but keeping the ticket open to return a meaningful error, the current stacktrace is not acceptable