How to Traverse Through Each Line of a Text File in Ansible

Learn how to traverse through each line of a text file in Ansible, extracting relevant data like package names and architecture efficiently.
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How to Traverse Through Each Line of a Text File in Ansible

In the realm of automation and configuration management, Ansible stands out as a powerful tool that streamlines processes. One common task users face is the need to traverse through files to extract information. Recently, a user encountered a challenge while trying to work with a package list file. The goal was to read package names along with their architecture from a text file and feed that data into an Ansible playbook. This guide will walk you through how to achieve that seamlessly.

Understanding the Problem

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The primary challenge was to pull both the package names and their architecture into an Ansible playbook. The initial approach was only able to extract package names, missing out on the architecture altogether.

Solution Overview

To solve this problem, we need to modify the playbook so that it can:

Split each line into package name and architecture.

Utilize these variables where necessary in subsequent tasks.

Step-by-Step Guide

Let's break down how to modify the Ansible playbook to achieve the desired results.

Step 1: Reading the Package List File

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Step 2: Looping Through Each Line

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Here, split('|') is utilized to divide the text by the pipe character, and storing the results in a list allows for easy indexing.

Step 3: Using the Extracted Data in Tasks

In our filtering task, we can apply these variables to use both architecture and package name effectively.

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Full Playbook Example

Here’s how the combined playbook looks with all the steps put together:

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Conclusion

By following the outlined steps, you can effectively traverse through each line of a text file in Ansible, extracting package names and architectures without any hassle. This approach ensures that your playbook processes the necessary data dynamically, making it a versatile solution for various automation tasks.

Feel free to modify the commands and variables as needed for your specific use case!