Ansible troubleshooting - Error: name[casing]
How to Solve the Ansible Error name[casing]


Introduction
Ansible is a powerful automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. When working with Ansible playbooks, maintaining a structured and consistent codebase is essential. One aspect of this is the proper naming of tasks and plays within your playbooks. In this article, we will discuss a specific Ansible linting rule: name[casing]
. This rule ensures that the names of your tasks and plays follow a standardized casing convention, making your code more readable and maintainable.
Understanding the name[casing] Rule
The name[casing]
rule is part of Ansible’s linting process, which helps in identifying issues and inconsistencies in your playbooks. This rule primarily focuses on the capitalization of task and play names. It enforces a simple yet effective guideline: all task and play names should start with an uppercase letter.
The reasoning behind this rule is straightforward. When you execute an Ansible playbook, the task and play names are displayed in logs, the console, or web interfaces. Using a consistent naming convention with an initial uppercase letter enhances readability and clarity, making it easier to identify the operations being performed.
Note: Ansible provides an option to automatically fix the “name[casing]
” error using the ansible-lint --fix
option, which can be a helpful tool in resolving this issue in your playbooks.
Common Issues Addressed by name[casing]
The name[casing]
rule helps identify and rectify the following common issues:
Lowercase Task Names: If a task name starts with a lowercase letter, it violates the
name[casing]
rule. For example, if you have a task with the name “install package,” this would trigger the rule.Inconsistent Playbook Names: Playbooks are the top-level constructs in Ansible. If the playbook name does not start with an uppercase letter, it also violates the
name[casing]
rule.Naming Style Consistency: Ensuring that all names start with an uppercase letter maintains a uniform naming style throughout your playbook.
Problematic Code Example
Here’s an example of problematic code that violates the name[casing]
rule:
---
- name: Example playbook
hosts: all
tasks:
- name: create directory
ansible.builtin.file:
path: /tmp/mydir
state: directory
In this code, the task name “create directory” starts with a lowercase letter, which is not compliant with the name[casing]
rule.
Ansible Lint Output
WARNING Listing 2 violation(s) that are fatal
name[casing]: All names should start with an uppercase letter.
name-casting.yml:5 Task/Handler: create directory
risky-file-permissions: File permissions unset or incorrect.
name-casting.yml:5 Task/Handler: create directory
Read documentation for instructions on how to ignore specific rule violations.
Rule Violation Summary
count tag profile rule associated tags
1 name[casing] moderate idiom
1 risky-file-permissions safety unpredictability
Failed: 2 failure(s), 0 warning(s) on 1 files. Last profile that met the validation criteria was 'basic'. Rating: 1/5 star
The Best Resources For Ansible
Certifications
Video Course
Printed Book
eBooks
Ansible by Examples: 200+ Automation Examples For Linux and Windows System Administrator and DevOps
Ansible Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Unleashing the Power of Ansible via Best Practices, Troubleshooting, and Linting Rules with Luca Berton
Ansible For Windows By Examples: 50+ Automation Examples For Windows System Administrator And DevOps
Ansible For Linux by Examples: 100+ Automation Examples For Linux System Administrator and DevOps
Ansible Linux Filesystem By Examples: 40+ Automation Examples on Linux File and Directory Operation for Modern IT Infrastructure
Ansible For Security by Examples: 100+ Automation Examples to Automate Security and Verify Compliance for IT Modern Infrastructure
Ansible Tips and Tricks: 10+ Ansible Examples to Save Time and Automate More Tasks
Ansible Linux Users & Groups By Examples: 20+ Automation Examples on Linux Users and Groups Operation for Modern IT Infrastructure
Ansible For PostgreSQL by Examples: 10+ Examples To Automate Your PostgreSQL database
Ansible For Amazon Web Services AWS By Examples: 10+ Examples To Automate Your AWS Modern Infrastructure
Ansible Automation Platform By Example: A step-by-step guide for the most common user scenarios
Corrected Code
To comply with the name[casing]
rule, the task name should start with an uppercase letter:
---
- name: Example playbook
hosts: all
tasks:
- name: Create directory
ansible.builtin.file:
path: /tmp/mydir
state: directory
Conclusion
The name[casing]
rule in Ansible playbooks ensures that your code follows a standardized casing convention, making it more readable and consistent. By adhering to this rule, you improve the quality of your automation code and help maintain a clean and structured codebase. Consistency in your code is essential for effective collaboration and long-term code maintainability.
Academy
Learn the Ansible automation technology with some real-life examples in my
My book Ansible By Examples: 200+ Automation Examples For Linux and Windows System Administrator and DevOps
Donate
Want to keep this project going? Please donate