Ansible troubleshooting - not a valid attribute for a Play error

How to reproduce, troubleshoot, and fix the “not a valid attribute for a Play” error.

September 20, 2021

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Introduction

In today’s episode of Ansible Pilot, I’m Luca Berton, and we’ll be diving into Ansible troubleshooting, focusing on the infamous “not a valid attribute for a Play” error. This error can be a stumbling block for many, but fear not – I’ll guide you through reproducing, troubleshooting, and fixing this issue.

Unveiling the Error in a Live Demo

The most effective way to explore Ansible troubleshooting is through a live demonstration. Let’s reproduce the “not a valid attribute for a Play” error and walk through the steps to resolve it.

Error Code: `invalid_play_attribute_error.yml`

---
- name: file module demo
  hosts: all
  vars:
    myfile: "~/example.txt"
  task:
    - name: Creating an empty
      ansible.builtin.file:
        path: "{{ myfile }}"
        state: touch

Error Execution

Executing the playbook with the error:

$ ansible-playbook -i demo/inventory troubleshooting/invalid_play_attribute_error.yml
ERROR! 'task' is not a valid attribute for a Play
The error appears to be in 'invalid_play_attribute_error.yml': line 2, column 3, but may
be elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.
The offending line appears to be:
 - -
- name: file module demo
 ^ here

Fixing the Code: `invalid_play_attribute_fix.yml`

---
- name: file module demo
  hosts: all
  vars:
    myfile: "~/example.txt"
  tasks:
    - name: Creating an empty
      ansible.builtin.file:
        path: "{{ myfile }}"
        state: touch

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Executing the Fixed Code

Executing the fixed playbook:

$ ansible-playbook -i inventory invalid_play_attribute_fix.yml
PLAY [file module demo] *********************************************************************
TASK [Gathering Facts] **********************************************************************
ok: [demo.example.com]
TASK [Creating an empty file] ***************************************************************
changed: [demo.example.com]
PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************
demo.example.com : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0

You can find the code on GitHub.

Recap

In summary, you’ve now gained valuable insights into troubleshooting the “not a valid attribute for a Play” error in Ansible. Understanding the error message, reproducing the issue, and implementing the necessary fixes are essential skills for every Ansible practitioner.

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