can not source ~/.bashrc file with ansible

Question

I have a list of aliases in a file, .bash_aliases, which is being copied to remote servers with ansible playbook. The file is getting copied to the destination but the .bashrc (which in turns load the .bash_aliases) file is not getting loaded using the following ansible task.

I have tried giving the executable argument

  - name: source the .bashrc file
    shell: source ~/.bashrc
    args:
      executables: "/bin/bash"

Without argument

  - name: source the .bashrc file
    shell: source ~/.bashrc

With raw module

  - name: source the .bashrc file
    raw: source ~/.bashrc

With command module - name: source the .bashrc file command: source ~/.bashrc

Nothing works!!! Any help

Solution

From reading your comments, you stated that you are trying to make permanate aliases and not for a particular session. Why not create those aliases inside of /etc/profile.d on the machines you need to have those particular aliases on instead of by user?

Also, from another post that popped up when I ran a google search on Ansible specifics as I am no Ansible expert... Not possible to source .bashrc with Ansible (thanks to @chucksmash for the link)

"Steve Midgley

You have two options to use source with ansible. One is with the "shell:" command and /bin/sh (the ansible default). "source" is called "." in /bin/sh. So your command would be:

-name: source bashrc
sudo: no
shell: . /home/username/.bashrc && [the actual command you want run]

Note you have to run a command after sourcing .bashrc b/c each ssh session is distinct - every ansible command runs in a separate ssh transaction.

Your second option is to force Ansible shell to use bash and then you can use the "source" command:\

name: source bashrc
sudo: no   
shell: source /home/username/.bashrc && [the actual command you want run]
args:
  executable: /bin/bash

Finally, I'll note that you may want to actually source "/etc/profile" if you're on Ubuntu or similar, which more completely simulates a local login."

Comments

[Karoly Horvath]

How do you "know" it's not getting loaded? Post something that reproduces the problem.

[Sebastian Stigler]

I assume that you want to use some aliases in later tasks. If that is the case then you are out of luck because ansible put each task in a seperate python script, then copy it to the host and then execute it. Any alias you set in a previous task will not be seen in any following task.

[chucksmash]

If you look at the URL of the other site you linked, you'll see they are just reproducing StackOverflow content ("...q/stackoverflow/22256884/...". The answer is available here