Ansible troubleshooting — Error 404: no-relative-paths

How to Solve the Ansible Error 404 no-relative-paths

Introduction

Ansible is renowned for its flexibility and efficiency in automating various IT tasks. When it comes to managing files and templates in Ansible playbooks, the “copy” and “template” modules are frequently used to handle file transfers and template rendering. However, mismanaging paths in these modules can lead to confusion and unexpected behavior. Ansible Rule 404, known as “no-relative-paths,” guides users to maintain best practices for handling paths within these modules.

Demystifying Rule 404 — “no-relative-paths”

Rule 404, “no-relative-paths,” is a vital component of Ansible’s rule set, aimed at ensuring the proper handling of paths within the “ansible.builtin.copy” and “ansible.builtin.template” modules. These modules are commonly used to interact with local and remote files in Ansible playbooks. While paths are fundamental to these modules, using relative paths can result in errors, disorganized projects, and user confusion.

The core principle emphasized by this rule is that the “src” argument in these modules should refer to local files and directories on the control node, not remote resources. Users are…