How to extract stdout of command as variable in ansible playbook

Question

I am trying to install docker credential store with pass on a VM using Ansible

here is the part of the credential store's code in the playbook.yaml

However, the problem is I try to export the gpg key id as a variable on play.4, but I can't echo the variable on play.6

I tried using register but the register variable seem cannot be use at other play's shell command

 - name: 1. Install gpg and pass
    apt:
      update_cache: yes
      name:
      - gpg
      - pass
  - name: 2. Create GPG key
    shell: |
      cat > /root/gpgKey <<EOF
      %echo Generating a default key
       Key-Type: default
       Subkey-Type: default
       Name-Real: abc999
       Name-Comment: abc999
       Name-Email: [email protected]
       Expire-Date: 0
       Passphrase: abc999
       %commit
       %echo done
      EOF
  - name: 3. Generate keys with `/root/gpgKey` file
    shell: |
      sudo gpg --batch --generate-key /root/gpgKey
  - name: 4. Verify key generation
    shell: |
      var=$(sudo gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long | sed '4!d' | tr -d " ")
  - name: 5. Download docker-credential-pass
    shell: |
      export PASS_VERSION="v0.6.0"
      wget -q "https://github.com/docker/docker-credential-helpers/releases/download/${PASS_VERSION}/docker-credential-pass-${PASS_VERSION}-amd64.tar.gz" -O - | sudo tar -x -C /usr/bin
      sudo chmod 710 "/usr/bin/docker-credential-pass"
  - name: 6. Echo GPG id
    shell: |
      echo $var

and here is the output of the command ansible-playbook playbook.yaml -vvv of play.6 echo $var: the stdout is nothing.

changed: [localhost] => {
    "changed": true,
    "cmd": "echo $var\n",
    "delta": "0:00:00.002488",
    "end": "2023-04-27 09:36:46.483048",
    "invocation": {
        "module_args": {
            "_raw_params": "echo $var\n",
            "_uses_shell": true,
            "argv": null,
            "chdir": null,
            "creates": null,
            "executable": null,
            "removes": null,
            "stdin": null,
            "stdin_add_newline": true,
            "strip_empty_ends": true,
            "warn": true
        }
    },
    "rc": 0,
    "start": "2023-04-27 09:36:46.480560",
    "stderr": "",
    "stderr_lines": [],
    "stdout": "",
    "stdout_lines": []
}

Your approach does not work because the plays happen in separate shells. You need to register the output of the command in order for ansible to store it. docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/playbook_guide/… — Panki
– Panki, Commented Apr 27, 2023 at 12:26
I tried register before, but I cannot find a way to use the register variable in the shell of other play — devlooper
– devlooper, Commented Apr 27, 2023 at 16:36

U880D · Accepted Answer · 2023-05-02 11:11:46Z

Regarding the comments "You need to register the output of the command in order for Ansible to store it." and "I tried register before, but I cannot find a way to use the register variable in the shell of other play." you may have look into the following minimal example playbook

---
- hosts: localhost
  become: true
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:

  - name: 4. Verify key generation
    shell:
      cmd: "gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long | sed '4!d' | tr -d ' '"
    register: VAR

  - name: 6. Echo GPG ID
    shell:
      cmd: "echo {{ VAR.stdout_lines }}"
    register: result

  - name: Show result
    debug:
      var: result

or a more generic

---
- hosts: localhost
  become: false
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:

  - name: Echo example 1
    shell:
      cmd: "echo 12:34:56:78:90:AB:CD:EF"
    register: VAR

  - name: Echo example 2
    shell:
      cmd: "echo {{ VAR.stdout_lines }}"
    register: result

  - name: Show registered variable
    debug:
      var: result

  - name: Show result content only
    debug:
      msg: "{{ result }}"

as it shows you how to get familiar with registering, return values and data structures.

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