Running straight from clone installation throws exception - Brew Casks Functionality Broken

[BoggyBumblebee]

Followed the steps provided, and I did not provide a custom config.yml, so using default 'default.config.yml'. When it comes to processing homebrew_cask_apps, it throws this error for every entry in the 'homebrew_cask_apps':

An exception occurred during task execution. To see the full traceback, use -vvv. The error was: TypeError: '<' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'
failed: [127.0.0.1] (item=chromedriver) => changed=false 
  ansible_loop_var: item
  item: chromedriver
  module_stderr: |-
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/Users/cmb/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1708506861.4051142-1294-146175815614559/AnsiballZ_homebrew_cask.py", line 107, in <module>
        _ansiballz_main()
      File "/Users/cmb/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1708506861.4051142-1294-146175815614559/AnsiballZ_homebrew_cask.py", line 99, in _ansiballz_main
        invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)
      File "/Users/cmb/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1708506861.4051142-1294-146175815614559/AnsiballZ_homebrew_cask.py", line 47, in invoke_module
        runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.modules.homebrew_cask', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.modules.homebrew_cask', _modlib_path=modlib_path),
      File "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Library/Frameworks/Python3.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 210, in run_module
        return _run_module_code(code, init_globals, run_name, mod_spec)
      File "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Library/Frameworks/Python3.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 97, in _run_module_code
        _run_code(code, mod_globals, init_globals,
      File "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Library/Frameworks/Python3.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
        exec(code, run_globals)
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 895, in <module>
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 887, in main
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 450, in run
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 523, in _run
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 671, in _install_casks
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 622, in _install_current_cask
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 485, in _current_cask_is_installed
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible_collections/community/general/plugins/modules/homebrew_cask.py", line 513, in _brew_cask_command_is_deprecated
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible/module_utils/compat/version.py", line 78, in __ge__
      File "/var/folders/vl/3dh1j32505z1s0dmgkk63z7m0000gn/T/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload_xmuhnua8/ansible_homebrew_cask_payload.zip/ansible/module_utils/compat/version.py", line 338, in _cmp
    TypeError: '<' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'
  module_stdout: ''
  msg: |-
    MODULE FAILURE
    See stdout/stderr for the exact error
  rc: 1

I can see where the error is (homebrew_cask.py), I'm struggling to find where that code resides, so I can work out what has gone wrong.

I know that the way in which Casks are installed has recently changed in homebrew, so I removed them and provided an empty 'homebrew_cask_apps' in the default config. The remainder of script then works. However, adding the cask list to the 'homebrew_installed_packages' did not work. Any suggestions on what needs to be fixed (happy to help), or a workaround?

[BoggyBumblebee]

Issue is found here in the homebrew. I see Jeff you commented on Ansible version being the issue - I'll see if that makes a difference. ansible-collections/community.general#1524

[BoggyBumblebee]

I've found the root of the issue. When homebrew is first installed in the VM that I am using to test the installation, running the command brew --version returns the string "Homebrew >=4.1.0 (shallow or no git repository)", which cannot be correctly parsed by the code in homebrew_cask.py in the function def _get_brew_version(self): on line 498, that in turn throws an issue on line 513:

return LooseVersion(self._get_brew_version()) >= LooseVersion('2.6.0')

If I run brew update and then brew --version it nows returns "Homebrew 4.2.9", and if the Ansible script is re-run, everything works.

In @geerlingguy's tasks/main.yml there is a step that should force an update, post installation of brew, when "not homebrew_binary.stat.exists", but that is being skipped, as I assume that does exist. Should it not be forced regardless? Clearly, I can run the Ansible script several times, but that feels wrong.