Ansible 'Failure Downloading' Error: Fix get_url & uri Module Issues

Introduction

Today, we delve into Ansible troubleshooting, specifically addressing the "failure downloading" error. When attempting to download content from the internet, encountering the failure downloading error can be a stumbling block. This article explores the root causes of this error and provides practical solutions to overcome it.

See also: Ansible 'fatal: template error while templating string' Fix (Guide)

Understanding the failure downloading Error

Downloading content from the internet can sometimes result in the failure downloading error. This issue is often triggered by a misspelled URL or content being moved by the website. In many cases, the error is associated with an HTTP 404 error, indicating that the requested resource was not found. To mitigate this, it's crucial to double-check the URL in your browser before using it in Ansible.

A wrong URL, leading to an HTTP 404 error, is a common cause of the Ansible error failure downloading.

I'm Luca Berton, and welcome to today's episode of Ansible Pilot.

Live Demo: Solving the failure downloading Error

The best way to address Ansible troubleshooting is through a live Playbooknstration. In this video, we will practically explore the failure downloading error and demonstrate how to solve it.

Code

• failuredownloading_error.yml

---
- name: unarchive module Playbook
  hosts: all
  become: false
  vars:
    myurl: "https://github.com/lucab85/ansible-pilot/archive/refs/master.zip"
  tasks:
    - name: extract archive
      ansible.builtin.unarchive:
        src: "{{ myurl }}"
        dest: "/home/devops/"
        remote_src: true
        validate_certs: true

• failuredownloading_fix.yml

---
- name: unarchive module Playbook
  hosts: all
  become: false
  vars:
    myurl: "https://github.com/lucab85/ansible-pilot/archive/refs/heads/master.zip"
  tasks:
    - name: extract archive
      ansible.builtin.unarchive:
        src: "{{ myurl }}"
        dest: "/home/devops/"
        remote_src: true
        validate_certs: true

See also: Ansible 'Destination Does Not Exist' Error: Fix Path Issues

Conclusion: Troubleshooting the Ansible failure downloading Error

With the insights gained from the live Playbook and code examples, you now have a better understanding of how to troubleshoot and resolve the Ansible failure downloading error. Remember to verify your URLs, especially checking for HTTP 404 errors, to ensure smooth execution of your Ansible playbooks.

Common Download Errors and Fixes

Error: SSL certificate verify failed

fatal: [server]: FAILED! => {"msg": "Failed to validate the SSL certificate for download.example.com"}

Fix 1: Update CA certificates

- name: Update CA certificates (Debian/Ubuntu)
  ansible.builtin.apt:
    name: ca-certificates
    state: latest
    update_cache: true
  become: true

Fix 2: Disable SSL validation (testing only)

- name: Download without SSL verification
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://example.com/file.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/file.tar.gz
    validate_certs: false  # NOT for production!

Error: Connection timed out

- name: Download with extended timeout
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://example.com/large-file.iso
    dest: /tmp/large-file.iso
    timeout: 300  # 5 minutes (default is 10 seconds)

Error: 403 Forbidden / 401 Unauthorized

- name: Download with authentication
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://example.com/private/file.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/file.tar.gz
    url_username: myuser
    url_password: "{{ vault_download_password }}"
    force_basic_auth: true
# Or with token/header auth
- name: Download with bearer token
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://api.example.com/releases/latest
    dest: /tmp/release.tar.gz
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer {{ api_token }}"

Error: Download through proxy

- name: Download through corporate proxy
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://example.com/file.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/file.tar.gz
  environment:
    http_proxy: http://proxy.corp.com:3128
    https_proxy: http://proxy.corp.com:3128
    no_proxy: "localhost,127.0.0.1,.corp.com"

See also: Ansible 'chgrp failed' Error: Fix Group Ownership Permission Issues

Download with Checksum Verification

- name: Download and verify checksum
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://releases.hashicorp.com/terraform/1.8.0/terraform_1.8.0_linux_amd64.zip
    dest: /tmp/terraform.zip
    checksum: "sha256:abc123def456..."
    mode: '0644'

Retry Failed Downloads

- name: Download with retries
  ansible.builtin.get_url:
    url: https://example.com/file.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/file.tar.gz
    timeout: 60
  register: download_result
  retries: 3
  delay: 10
  until: download_result is succeeded

get_url vs uri vs command+curl

| Module | Best For | |--------|----------| | get_url | Download files to disk | | uri | API calls, checking URLs, small responses | | command + curl | Complex scenarios (last resort) |

FAQ

Why does get_url fail but curl works?

Usually Python SSL/TLS library differences. Ansible uses Python's urllib, which may have different CA bundles than system curl. Update ca-certificates and python3-certifi.

How do I resume a partial download?

get_url doesn't support resume. Use command with curl -C - or wget -c for resumable downloads.

How do I download from S3?

Use the amazon.aws.aws_s3 module instead of get_url:

- name: Download from S3
  amazon.aws.aws_s3:
    bucket: my-bucket
    object: /path/to/file.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/file.tar.gz
    mode: get

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