ansible/docs/docsite/rst/playbooks_debugger.rst

Playbook Debugger
=================

.. contents:: Topics

Ansible includes a ``debug`` strategy. This strategy enables you to invoke a debugger when a task has
failed.  You have access to all of the features of the debugger in the context of the failed task.  You can then, for example, check or set the value of variables, update module arguments, and re-run the failed task with the new variables and arguments to help resolve the cause of the failure.

To use the ``debug`` strategy, change the ``strategy`` attribute like this::

    - hosts: test
      strategy: debug
      tasks:
      ...

If you don't want change the code, you can define ``ANSIBLE_STRATEGY=debug``
environment variable in order to enable the debugger.

For example, run the playbook below::

    - hosts: test
      strategy: debug
      gather_facts: no
      vars:
        var1: value1
      tasks:
        - name: wrong variable
          ping: data={{ wrong_var }}

The debugger is invoked since the *wrong_var* variable is undefined.

Let's change the module's arguments and run the task again

.. code-block:: none

    PLAY ***************************************************************************

    TASK [wrong variable] **********************************************************
    fatal: [192.0.2.10]: FAILED! => {"failed": true, "msg": "ERROR! 'wrong_var' is undefined"}
    Debugger invoked
    (debug) p result
    {'msg': u"ERROR! 'wrong_var' is undefined", 'failed': True}
    (debug) p task.args
    {u'data': u'{{ wrong_var }}'}
    (debug) task.args['data'] = '{{ var1 }}'
    (debug) p task.args
    {u'data': '{{ var1 }}'}
    (debug) redo
    ok: [192.0.2.10]

    PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
    192.0.2.10               : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0

This time, the task runs successfully!

.. _available_commands:

Available Commands
++++++++++++++++++

.. _p_command:

p *task/vars/host/result*
`````````````````````````

Print values used to execute a module::

    (debug) p task
    TASK: install package
    (debug) p task.args
    {u'name': u'{{ pkg_name }}'}
    (debug) p vars
    {u'ansible_all_ipv4_addresses': [u'192.0.2.10'],
     u'ansible_architecture': u'x86_64',
     ...
    }
    (debug) p vars['pkg_name']
    u'bash'
    (debug) p host
    192.0.2.10
    (debug) p result
    {'_ansible_no_log': False,
     'changed': False,
     u'failed': True,
     ...
     u'msg': u"No package matching 'not_exist' is available"}

.. _update_args_command:

task.args[*key*] = *value*
``````````````````````````

Update module's argument.

If you run a playbook like this::

    - hosts: test
      strategy: debug
      gather_facts: yes
      vars:
        pkg_name: not_exist
      tasks:
        - name: install package
          apt: name={{ pkg_name }}

Debugger is invoked due to wrong package name, so let's fix the module's args::

    (debug) p task.args
    {u'name': u'{{ pkg_name }}'}
    (debug) task.args['name'] = 'bash'
    (debug) p task.args
    {u'name': 'bash'}
    (debug) redo

Then the task runs again with new args.

.. _update_vars_command:

vars[*key*] = *value*
`````````````````````

Update vars.

Let's use the same playbook above, but fix vars instead of args::

    (debug) p vars['pkg_name']
    u'not_exist'
    (debug) vars['pkg_name'] = 'bash'
    (debug) p vars['pkg_name']
    'bash'
    (debug) redo

Then the task runs again with new vars.

.. _redo_command:

r(edo)
``````

Run the task again.

.. _continue_command:

c(ontinue)
``````````

Just continue.

.. _quit_command:

q(uit)
``````

Quit from the debugger. The playbook execution is aborted.

.. seealso::

   :doc:`playbooks`
       An introduction to playbooks
   `User Mailing List <http://groups.google.com/group/ansible-devel>`_
       Have a question?  Stop by the google group!
   `irc.freenode.net <http://irc.freenode.net>`_
       #ansible IRC chat channel