Cannot gather fact USER using docker

[staticdev]

I have a working playbook that when run in molecule-docker fails to get ansible_env.USER. When I run in verbose mode I see [Gathering Facts] runs on converge successfully and get other variables, but not USER.

When I run the same playbook in my machine it gets the user. Does anyone know the reason for this difference? If so, how should I test it with molecule?

If interested in checking the playbook, the code with molecule is here: staticdev/linux-workstation-playbook#316

[staticdev]

@ssbarnea maybe you have an idea on this one?

[catarse-natural]

I have the exact same problem, did you find a solution @staticdev ?

[staticdev]

I am sorry, but not yet =/

[zhan9san]

If you have to use {{ ansible_env.USER }}, both work for your case.

1. Try "{{ ansible_facts.user_id }}" in your role.
2. Add an environment variable(USER: root) in molecule.yml as below.

---
dependency:
  name: galaxy
driver:
  name: docker
platforms:
  - name: instance
    image: xxx
    # image: x
    pre_build_image: true
    env:
      USER: root

When I run the same playbook in my machine it gets the user. Does anyone know the reason for this difference?

It's because the ansible connection is different.

When you run playbook in real target server, the connection plugin must be ssh while when in molecule with docker plugin, the connection is community.docker.docker. By default, the user running in container is root, but this user is not set as an environment variable in container.

When using community.docker.docker connection, even gather_facts is enabled, as no USER environment variable in container, no ansible_env.USER(AKA ansible_facts.env.USER) would be set.

---

No USER environment variable as below.

$ docker run --rm --entrypoint env geerlingguy/docker-debian11-ansible:latest
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
HOSTNAME=dd4d52ad805a
pip_packages=ansible cryptography
HOME=/root

As we can see, no USRER in environment variables.

[staticdev]

@zhan9san thanks a lot for the answer and explanation. I tried the first option, not sure I understood correctly, just replaced {{ ansible_env.USER }} with {{ ansible_facts.user_id }} but I believe this is not what you meant. The second solution though worked great!

[zhan9san]

not sure I understood correctly, just replaced {{ ansible_env.USER }} with {{ ansible_facts.user_id }} but I believe this is not what you meant.

It's what I mean.

technically, the value of {{ ansible_facts.user_id }} is what you want in both your real playbook and converge playbook.

In you real playbook, it's ssh connection user.
In docker connection, it would be set to root by default.

Didn't work?

[staticdev]

@zhan9san you are completely right, I am sorry! I double checked and the problem was I had it in multiple points of my playbook (so maybe setting the ENV is the easier solution). Thanks a lot again.