.. _playbook_debugger: Playbook Debugger ================= .. contents:: Topics Ansible includes a debugger as part of the strategy plugins. This debugger enables you to debug as task. You have access to all of the features of the debugger in the context of the task. You can then, for example, check or set the value of variables, update module arguments, and re-run the task with the new variables and arguments to help resolve the cause of the failure. There are multiple ways to invoke the debugger. Using the debugger keyword ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .. versionadded:: 2.5 The ``debugger`` keyword can be used on any block where you provide a ``name`` attribute, such as a play, role, block or task. The ``debugger`` keyword accepts several values: always Always invoke the debugger, regardless of the outcome never Never invoke the debugger, regardless of the outcome on_failed Only invoke the debugger if a task fails on_unreachable Only invoke the debugger if the a host was unreachable on_skipped Only invoke the debugger if the task is skipped These options override any global configuration to enable or disable the debugger. On a task ````````` :: - name: Execute a command command: false debugger: on_failed On a play ````````` :: - name: Play hosts: all debugger: on_skipped tasks: - name: Execute a command command: true when: False When provided at a generic level and a more specific level, the more specific wins:: - name: Play hosts: all debugger: never tasks: - name: Execute a command command: false debugger: on_failed Configuration or environment variable +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ .. versionadded:: 2.5 In ansible.cfg:: [defaults] enable_task_debugger = True As an environment variable:: ANSIBLE_ENABLE_TASK_DEBUGGER=True ansible-playbook -i hosts site.yml When using this method, any failed or unreachable task will invoke the debugger, unless otherwise explicitly disabled. As a Strategy +++++++++++++ .. note:: This is a backwards compatible method, to match Ansible versions before 2.5, and may be removed in a future release To use the ``debug`` strategy, change the ``strategy`` attribute like this:: - hosts: test strategy: debug tasks: ... If you don't want change the code, you can define ``ANSIBLE_STRATEGY=debug`` environment variable in order to enable the debugger, or modify ``ansible.cfg`` such as:: [defaults] strategy = debug Examples ++++++++ For example, run the playbook below:: - hosts: test debugger: on_failed gather_facts: no vars: var1: value1 tasks: - name: wrong variable ping: data={{ wrong_var }} The debugger is invoked since the *wrong_var* variable is undefined. Let's change the module's arguments and run the task again .. code-block:: none PLAY *************************************************************************** TASK [wrong variable] ********************************************************** fatal: [192.0.2.10]: FAILED! => {"failed": true, "msg": "ERROR! 'wrong_var' is undefined"} Debugger invoked [192.0.2.10] TASK: wrong variable (debug)> p result._result {'failed': True, 'msg': 'The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error ' "was: 'wrong_var' is undefined\n" '\n' 'The error appears to have been in ' "'playbooks/debugger.yml': line 7, " 'column 7, but may\n' 'be elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n' '\n' 'The offending line appears to be:\n' '\n' ' tasks:\n' ' - name: wrong variable\n' ' ^ here\n'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: wrong variable (debug)> p task.args {u'data': u'{{ wrong_var }}'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: wrong variable (debug)> task.args['data'] = '{{ var1 }}' [192.0.2.10] TASK: wrong variable (debug)> p task.args {u'data': '{{ var1 }}'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: wrong variable (debug)> redo ok: [192.0.2.10] PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************* 192.0.2.10 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 This time, the task runs successfully! .. _available_commands: Available Commands ++++++++++++++++++ .. _pprint_command: p(print) *task/task_vars/host/result* ````````````````````````````````````` Print values used to execute a module:: [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task TASK: install package [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task.args {u'name': u'{{ pkg_name }}'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task_vars {u'ansible_all_ipv4_addresses': [u'192.0.2.10'], u'ansible_architecture': u'x86_64', ... } [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task_vars['pkg_name'] u'bash' [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p host 192.0.2.10 [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p result._result {'_ansible_no_log': False, 'changed': False, u'failed': True, ... u'msg': u"No package matching 'not_exist' is available"} .. _update_args_command: task.args[*key*] = *value* `````````````````````````` Update module's argument. If you run a playbook like this:: - hosts: test strategy: debug gather_facts: yes vars: pkg_name: not_exist tasks: - name: install package apt: name={{ pkg_name }} Debugger is invoked due to wrong package name, so let's fix the module's args:: [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task.args {u'name': u'{{ pkg_name }}'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> task.args['name'] = 'bash' [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task.args {u'name': 'bash'} [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> redo Then the task runs again with new args. .. _update_vars_command: task_vars[*key*] = *value* `````````````````````````` Update ``task_vars``. Let's use the same playbook above, but fix ``task_vars`` instead of args:: [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task_vars['pkg_name'] u'not_exist' [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> task_vars['pkg_name'] = 'bash' [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> p task_vars['pkg_name'] 'bash' [192.0.2.10] TASK: install package (debug)> redo Then the task runs again with new ``task_vars``. .. note:: In 2.5 this was updated from ``vars`` to ``task_vars`` to not conflict with the ``vars()`` python function. .. _redo_command: r(edo) `````` Run the task again. .. _continue_command: c(ontinue) `````````` Just continue. .. _quit_command: q(uit) `````` Quit from the debugger. The playbook execution is aborted. Use with the free strategy ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Using the debugger on the ``free`` strategy will cause no further tasks to be queued or executed while the debugger is active. Additionally, using ``redo`` on a task to schedule it for re-execution may cause the rescheduled task to execute after subsequent tasks listed in your playbook. .. seealso:: :doc:`playbooks` An introduction to playbooks `User Mailing List `_ Have a question? Stop by the google group! `irc.freenode.net `_ #ansible IRC chat channel