Ansible iterate a dictionary with lists

Solution 1:

First off, you might want to consider using the file module, rather than shell. It's less failure prone, and ostensibly idempotent. However, that might give you some issues with mixing directories, files, and file globs. YMMV.

As for the heart of the question, I would set up your variables like so:

users:
  - username: bar
    directories:
      - path: /data
        permissions: rX
      - path: /js
        permissions: rX
  - username: foo
    directories:
      - path: /
        permissions: rwX

The play would then look like this:

- name: Change mod/own
  shell: chown {{ item.0.username }} {{ item.1.path }};chmod u+{{ item.1.permissions }} {{ item.1.path }
  with_subelements:
    - users
    - directories

Solution 2:

This is a good output example that you can try yourself. Create a new playbook called iteration_loop.yml:

---

- name: Change mod/own
  hosts: all
  tasks:
  - name: show me the iterations
    debug: msg={{ item.0.username }} {{ item.1.path }} then {{ item.1.permissions }} {{ item.1.path }}
    with_subelements:
      - users
      - directories
  vars:
    users:
      - username: bar
        directories:
          - path: /data
            permissions: rX
          - path: /js
            permissions: rX
      - username: foo
        directories:
          - path: /
            permissions: rwX

Then run the playbook like this: ansible-playbook -i '172.16.222.131,' iteration_loop.yml

and the output should give you how the items are accessed:

PLAY [Change mod/own] ********************************************************* 

GATHERING FACTS *************************************************************** 
ok: [172.16.222.131]

TASK: [show me the iterations] ************************************************ 
ok: [172.16.222.131] => (item=({'username': 'bar'}, {'path': '/data', 'permissions': 'rX'})) => {
    "item": [
        {
            "username": "bar"
        }, 
        {
            "path": "/data", 
            "permissions": "rX"
        }
    ], 
    "msg": "bar"
}
ok: [172.16.222.131] => (item=({'username': 'bar'}, {'path': '/js', 'permissions': 'rX'})) => {
    "item": [
        {
            "username": "bar"
        }, 
        {
            "path": "/js", 
            "permissions": "rX"
        }
    ], 
    "msg": "bar"
}
ok: [172.16.222.131] => (item=({'username': 'foo'}, {'path': '/', 'permissions': 'rwX'})) => {
    "item": [
        {
            "username": "foo"
        }, 
        {
            "path": "/", 
            "permissions": "rwX"
        }
    ], 
    "msg": "foo"
}

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************** 
172.16.222.131             : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0   

---

Solution 3:

Assuming that dict={a:[1,2,3],b:[1,2]} and so on:

- name: Flattened list
  set_fact:
    flattened: "{{ dict.values() | sum(start=[]) }}"

Now flattened == [1,2,3,1,2]