Ansible modules

Ansible modules add new capabilities to Ansible and is a core component of the software, as of September 2019 there are more than 2.800 modules available: ansible-doc --list. For example you can manage AWS infrastructure using Ansible, execute commands with shell module or collect information using setup module.

• ansible -m setup SERVER_NAME will collect information from your system
• ansible -m setup SERVER_NAME -a 'filter=ansible_distribution'. Collect just OS.

Modules

• apt_repository: Ansible playbook: Add a repository
• docker compose: New in version 2.1 and was call docker_service before Ansible 2.8
• file, for managing files and directories: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/file_module.html
• ovirt_vm (KVM)

• Execution modules:
  • command, default for ad-hoc commands, bypasses the shell so won’t be impacted by local shell variables.
  • shell, allow to use shell functionalities such as redirection.
  • raw, do not require python on remote system
• gather_facts, lineinfile, [[user:]], group, mount, git, docker, docker_compose and mail modules, see all of them by category: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/modules_by_category.html

Examples of Ansible execution modules

• ansible -m raw DESTINATION_HOSTNAME -a uptime
• ansible -m shell DESTINATION_HOSTNAME -a uptime
• ansible -m command DESTINATION_HOSTNAME -a uptime (Do not support some characters as: "|")

Related terms

• Terraform modules

See also

• Ansible modules: gather_facts, set_fact, ansible.builtin.file, lineinfile, stat, group, mount, git:, package:, command:, shell:, raw:, template:, register:, user:, Ansible playbooks examples, tasks:, lineinfile, blockinfile:, shell:, command:, raw:, ansible.builtin.file, service:, aws.ecs_taskdefinition, aws.asg, docker_container, kubernetes.core.k8s, community., include_tasks
• Ansible: modules, plugins, Playbooks (examples) ansible-playbook, ansible-vault, ansible-inventory, ansible-config, Ansible Tower, Ansible Galaxy (Roles) (ansible-galaxy), ansible-cmdb, gather facts, ansible.cfg, Ansible Molecule, Ansible collections, register, template, --ask-pass, --ask-become-pass, remote_user:, /etc/ansible/hosts, ansible-doc, ansible-lint, .ansible/, --forks, --start-at-task, changelog, inventory, Notify:, ansible HOSTNAME -m ping, gathering, /usr/bin/ansible, ansible -m ping, ansible.builtin, hosts: (Ansible), set fact:, when:, blockinfile:, become method:, include:, git:, AWX, ansible --help, Tags, Ansible variables, versions

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/modules_by_category.html

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/setup_module.html

https://www.unixarena.com/2018/07/ansible-command-vs-shell-vs-raw-modules.html/

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.6/modules/docker_module.html

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/docker_compose_module.html

https://medium.com/@tcij1013/ten-useful-ansible-modules-83fb6fb2d45e