[FIXED] How to get any command / task (ex: Ansible - Yum Install ) / stdout output i.e. Pretty print or Beautify / Lint aligned output

Issue

Ansible version: 2.8.3 or Any

I'm using -m <module> Ansible's ad-hoc command to ensure the following package is installed --OR-- let's say if I have a task to install few yum packages, like (i.e. How can I do the same within a task (possibly when I'm not using ansible's shell / command modules):

  - name: Installing necessary yum dependencies
    yum:
      name:
        - wget
        - python-devel
        - openssl-devel
      state: latest

It works, but how can I get the output of whole yum operation in a nice output format (instead of getting a one line format with bunch of \n characters embedded in it); like what we usually get when we run the same command (yum install <some_package>) on Linux command prompt.

I want to ansible to retain a command's output in original format

The line I want to see in more linted/beautified way is: Loaded plugins: ...

[root@ansible-server test_ansible]# ansible -i hosts all -m yum -a 'name=ncdu state=present'
host1 | SUCCESS => {
    "changed": true,
    "msg": "",
    "rc": 0,
    "results": [


"Loaded plugins: fastestmirror\nLoading mirror speeds from cached hostfile\n * base: mirror.netsite.dk\n * elrepo: mirrors.xservers.ro\n * epel: fedora.mirrors.telekom.ro\n * extras: centos.mirrors.telekom.ro\n * remi-php70: remi.schlundtech.de\n * remi-safe: remi.schlundtech.de\n * updates: centos.mirror.iphh.net\nResolving Dependencies\n--> Running transaction check\n---> Package ncdu.x86_64 0:1.14-1.el7 will be installed\n--> Finished Dependency Resolution\n\nDependencies Resolved\n\n================================================================================\n Package         Arch              Version                Repository       Size\n================================================================================\nInstalling:\n ncdu            x86_64            1.14-1.el7             epel             51 k\n\nTransaction Summary\n================================================================================\nInstall  1 Package\n\nTotal download size: 51 k\nInstalled size: 87 k\nDownloading packages:\nRunning transaction check\nRunning transaction test\nTransaction test succeeded\nRunning transaction\n  Installing : ncdu-1.14-1.el7.x86_64                                       1/1 \n  Verifying  : ncdu-1.14-1.el7.x86_64                                       1/1 \n\nInstalled:\n  ncdu.x86_64 0:1.14-1.el7                                                      \n\nComplete!\n"
    ]
}

Example of the aligned linted/beautified format that I'm looking for, is shown below if I execute: # yum install ncdu, we need need the exact same output, but how it's per line and easy to read/visualize on stdout.

Loaded plugins: amazon-id, langpacks, product-id, search-disabled-repos, subscription-manager

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Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ncdu.x86_64 0:1.15.1-1.el7 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

==============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
 Package                                                    Arch                                                         Version                                                             Repository                                                  Size
==============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
 ncdu                                                       x86_64                                                       1.15.1-1.el7                                                        epel                                                        52 k

Transaction Summary
==============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Install  1 Package

Total download size: 52 k
Installed size: 88 k
Is this ok [y/d/N]: y
Downloading packages:
ncdu-1.15.1-1.el7.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                                                                           |  52 kB  00:00:00
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
  Installing : ncdu-1.15.1-1.el7.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1/1
  Verifying  : ncdu-1.15.1-1.el7.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1/1

Installed:
  ncdu.x86_64 0:1.15.1-1.el7

Complete!

Solution

Few ways:

Inside Ansible's (2.5 onwards) configuration file ansible.cfg file (either global, in /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg, or a local one in your playbook/project), we can add the following lines under the [defaults] section:

[defaults]
nocows = True

# Use the debug/yaml/json callback plugins as necessary for your output type.
stdout_callback = debug 
#stdout_callback = debug
#stdout_callback = json

# Use the stdout_callback when running ad-hoc commands.
bin_ansible_callbacks = True

At command line, we can pass the following ENV variable:

ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK=debug ansible or ansible-playbook ...

If using a task as shown below, and if I registered the variable in a task, then I can just use:

  - name: Installing necessary yum dependencies
    yum:
      name:
        - wget
        - python-devel
        - openssl-devel
      register: yum_std_out
      state: latest

Then, I can use:

- debug:
    msg: "{{ yum_std_out.split('\n') }}"

and if the output of a given Ansible module is other than stdout/debug i.e. in XML or JSON, then in Ansible, configuration file (as listed above), you can enable the appropriate setting by uncommenting i.e.

#stdout_callback = debug
#stdout_callback = json

More info:

debug plugin

anstomlog plugin

YAML plugin

Answered By - AKS

Answer Checked By - Timothy Miller (PHPFixing Admin)