Gather facts

Ansible gather_facts module, new in Ansible 2.8 (May 2019), allows to gather useful variables about remote hosts that can be used in playbooks

• https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/gather_facts_module.html

gather_facts: [ no | yes ]

Example:

#!/usr/bin/env ansible-playbook

- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: no

Using facts:

tasks:
 - name: Shut down Debian flavored systems
   ansible.builtin.command: /sbin/shutdown -t now
   when: ansible_facts['os_family'] == "Debian"

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************************************************************
ok: [SERVER_NAME]

Related terms

• gathering in /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
• ios_ping
• bolt task run facts --targets
• Chef: inspec detect
• https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_vars_facts.html#ansible-facts
• ansible.builtin.set_fact

See also

• Ansible setup module: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/setup_module.html
• 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