Ansible win_stat: Check if File or Directory Exists on Windows (Examples) — Video Tutorial
How to check if a file or directory exists on Windows using Ansible win_stat module. Conditional tasks, file properties, checksum verification with practical examples.
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What You'll Learn
- How to check if a directory/folder exists on Windows-like systems with Ansible?
- Ansible check directory exists on Windows-like systems
- Parameters & Return Values
- Mandatory Parameters
- Main Return Values
- Links
- code
- directory doesn't exist execution
- directory exist execution
- Conclusion
Full Tutorial Content
How to check if a directory/folder exists on Windows-like systems with Ansible?
I'm going to show you a live Playbook and some simple Ansible code.
I'm Luca Berton and welcome to today's episode of Ansible Pilot
Ansible check directory exists on Windows-like systems
- `ansible.windows.win_stat`
- Get information about Windows files
Let's talk about the Ansible module `win_stat`.
The full name is `ansible.windows.win_stat`, which means that is part of the collection of modules specialized to interact with Windows target host.
It's a module pretty stable and out for years.
It works in Windows and Windows Server operating systems.
It gets information about Windows files.
For Linux target use the [`ansible.builtin.stat`](/articles/check-if-a-directory-exists-ansible-module-stat) module instead.
Parameters & Return Values
Mandatory Parameters
- path string
Main Return Values
- stat complex - isdir
The only mandatory parameter is "path" which is the filesystem full path of the object to check.
The module returns a complex object, the property that is interesting for us is "isdir". This attribute is "true" if the object is a directory
Links
- [ansible.windows.win_stat](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/windows/win_stat_module.html)
## Playbook
How to check if the "example" directory/folder exists on the Desktop of the user on Windows-like systems with Ansible Playbook.
code
```yaml
---
- name: check if is a directory
hosts: all
vars:
directory: 'C:\Users\vagrant\Desktop\example'
tasks:
- name: Check the directory
ansible.windows.win_stat:
path: "{{ directory }}"
register: dir_data
- name: Directory found
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "Directory {{ directory }} present"
when: dir_data.stat.isdir is defined and dir_data.stat.isdir
```
directory doesn't exist execution
```bash
ansible-pilot $ ansible-playbook -i virtualmachines/win/inventory check\ directory\ exists/directory_exists_windows.yml
PLAY [check if is a directory] ********************************************************************
TASK [Gathering Facts] ****************************************************************************
ok: [WindowsServer]
TASK [Check the directory] ************************************************************************
ok: [WindowsServer]
TASK [Directory found] ****************************************************************************
skipping: [WindowsServer]
PLAY RECAP ****************************************************************************************
WindowsServer : ok=2 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=1 rescued=0 ignored=0
ansible-pilot $
```
directory exist execution
```bash
ansible-pilot $ ansible-playbook -i virtualmachines/win/inventory check\ directory\ exist
About This Tutorial
- Author: Luca Berton
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Read time: 4 min
- Category: installation
Read the full written article: Ansible win_stat: Check if File or Directory Exists on Windows (Examples)
Topics Covered
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