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
• docker_container: New in version 2.1
• 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, package, [[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

• package:
• apt:
• service:
• Ansible module: archive

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
• Ansible plugins
• ansible-galaxy collection install

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

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