How can I write variables inside the tasks file in ansible

Question

I have this play.yml

---
- hosts: localhost
    
  tasks:
    - include: apache.yml

My apache.yml file looks like this:

vars:
  url: http://example.com/apache
    
- name: Download apache
  shell: wget {{ url }} 

This is giving me an error.

If I remove vars then it works. But, I want to keep the variable inside the included tasks file, so that I can keep different variables for different tasks separate.

Answer 1

NOTE: Using set_fact as described below sets a fact/variable onto the remote servers that the task is running against. This fact/variable will then persist across subsequent tasks for the entire duration of your playbook.

Also, these facts are immutable (for the duration of the playbook), and cannot be changed once set.

---

ORIGINAL ANSWER

Use set_fact before your task to set facts which seem interchangeable with variables:

- name: Set Apache URL
  set_fact:
    apache_url: 'http://example.com/apache'

- name: Download Apache
  shell: wget {{ apache_url }}

See http://docs.ansible.com/set_fact_module.html for the official word.

Answer 2

Just move the variable definition inside inside your task:

- name: Download apache
  shell: wget {{ url }}
  vars:
    url: http://example.com/apache

Answer 3

Variable definitions are meant to be used in tasks. But if you want to include them in tasks probably use the register directive. Like this:

- name: Define variable in task.
  shell: echo "http://www.my.url.com"
  register: url

- name: Download apache
  shell: wget {{ item }}
  with_items: url.stdout

You can also look at roles as a way of separating tasks depending on the different roles roles. This way you can have separate variables for each of one of your roles. For example you may have a url variable for apache1 and a separate url variable for the role apache2.

Answer 4

In Your example, apache.yml is tasklist, but not playbook

In depends on desired architecture, You can do one of:

1. Convert apache.yml to role. Then define tasks in roles/apache/tasks/mail.yml and variables in roles/apache/defaults/mail.yml (vars in defaults can be overriden when role applied)

2. Set vars in play.yml playbook

play.yml

---
- hosts: 127.0.0.1
  connection: local
  sudo: false

  vars:
    url: czxcxz

  tasks:
     - include: apache.yml

apache.yml

- name: Download apache
  shell: wget {{url}} 

Answer 5

If you need to have local variables that only persist through specific task, you can do this:

- name: My Task
  vars:
    my_var: 123

This can be useful, when you want to have more reusable roles, where it expects some generic variables (arguments). For example:

my_debug_role/main.yml:

- name: Output me
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "Your output was: {{ my_msg }}"

Then in your playbook, you can reuse it with more specific variable, like:

my_playbook.yml:

- name: Output my custom log
  include_role:
    name: my_debug_role
  vars:
    my_msg: "{{ some_custom_specific_variable }}"