How to create a directory using Ansible

Question

How do you create a directory www at /srv on a Debian-based system using an Ansible playbook?

Answer 1

You want the file module. To create a directory, you need to specify the option state: directory :

- name: Creates directory
  file:
    path: /src/www
    state: directory

You can see other options at https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/builtin/file_module.html

Answer 2

You can even extend the file module and even set the owner,group & permission through it. (Ref: Ansible file documentation)

- name: Creates directory
  file:
    path: /src/www
    state: directory
    owner: www-data
    group: www-data
    mode: 0775

Even, you can create the directories recursively:

- name: Creates directory
  file:
    path: /src/www
    state: directory
    owner: www-data
    group: www-data
    mode: 0775
    recurse: yes

This way, it will create both directories, if they didn't exist.

Answer 3

Additional for all answers here, there is lot of situations when you need to create more then one directory so it is a good idea to use loops instead creating separate task for each directory.

- name: creates multiple directories in one task
  file:
    path: "{{ item }}"
    state: directory
  loop:
    - /srv/www
    - /dir/foo
    - /dir/bar

Answer 4

you can create using:

Latest version 2<

- name: Create Folder
  file: 
    path: /srv/www/
    owner: user 
    group: user 
    mode: 0755 
    state: directory

Older version

- name: Create Folder
  file: 
   path=/srv/www/
   owner=user 
   group=user 
   mode=0755 
   state=directory

Refer - http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/file_module.html

Answer 5

Directory can be created using file module only, as directory is nothing but a file.

# create a directory if it doesn't exist
- file:
    path: /etc/some_directory
    state: directory
    mode: 0755
    owner: foo
    group: foo

Answer 6

- name: Create a directory 
  ansible.builtin.file:
    path: /etc/some_directory
    state: directory
    mode: '0755'

Answer 7

- file:
    path: /etc/some_directory
    state: directory
    mode: 0755
    owner: someone
    group: somegroup

That's the way you can actually also set the permissions, the owner and the group. The last three parameters are not obligatory.

Answer 8

You can create a directory. using

# create a directory if it doesn't exist
- file: path=/src/www state=directory mode=0755

You can also consult http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/file_module.html for further details regaridng directory and file system.

Answer 9

Just need to put condition to execute task for specific distribution

- name: Creates directory
  file: path=/src/www state=directory
  when: ansible_distribution == 'Debian'

Answer 10

You can use the statement

- name: webfolder - Creates web folder
  file: path=/srv/www state=directory owner=www-data group=www-data mode=0775`

Answer 11

enter code here 
- name: creating directory in ansible
  file:
   path: /src/www
   state: directory
   owner: foo

you can refer to ansible documentation

Answer 12

If you want to create a directory in windows:

- name: create folder in Windows
  win_file:
    path: C:\Temp\folder\subfolder
    state: directory

See the win_file module for more information.

Answer 13

to create directory

ansible host_name -m file -a "dest=/home/ansible/vndir state=directory"

Answer 14

We have modules available to create directory , file in ansible

Example

- name: Creates directory
  file:
    path: /src/www
    state: directory

Answer 15

you can use the "file" module in this case, there are so many arguments that you can pass for a newly created directory like the owner, group, location, mode and so on.....

please refer to this document for the detailed explanation on the file module...

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/file_module.html#file-module

remember this module is not just for creating the directory !!!

Answer 16

To check if directory exists and then run some task (e.g. create directory) use the following

- name: Check if output directory exists
    stat:
    path: /path/to/output
    register: output_folder

- name: Create output directory if not exists
    file:
    path: /path/to/output
    state: directory
    owner: user
    group: user
    mode: 0775
    when: output_folder.stat.exists == false

Answer 17

You can do it as one of the following ways:

Example 1: If Parent Directory already exists:

- name: Create a new directory www at given path 
  ansible.builtin.file:
    path: /srv/www/
    state: directory
    mode: '0755'

Example 2: If Parent Directory does not exist:

- name: Create a new directory www at given path recursively
  ansible.builtin.file:
    path: /srv/www/
    state: directory
    mode: '0755'
    recurse: yes

Here in Example 2, it will recursively create both directories if they are not present.

You can see the Official Documentation for further info on file_module

Answer 18

You can directly run the command and create directly using ansible

ansible -v targethostname -m shell -a "mkdir /srv/www" -u targetuser

OR

ansible -v targethostname -m file -a "path=/srv/www state=directory" -u targetuser

Answer 19

---
- hosts: all
  connection: local
  tasks:
    - name: Creates directory
      file: path=/src/www state=directory

Above playbook will create www directory in /src path.

Before running above playbook. Please make sure your ansible host connection should be set,

"localhost ansible_connection=local"

should be present in /etc/ansible/hosts

for more information please let me know.

Answer 20

Use file module to create a directory and get the details about file module using command "ansible-doc file"

Here is an option "state" that explains:

If directory, all immediate subdirectories will be created if they do not exist, since 1.7 they will be created with the supplied permissions.
If file, the file will NOT be created if it does not exist, see the [copy] or [template] module if you want that behavior.
If link, the symbolic link will be created or changed. Use hard for hardlinks.
If absent, directories will be recursively deleted, and files or symlinks will be unlinked.

Note that file will not fail if the path does not exist as the state did not change.

If touch (new in 1.4), an empty file will be created if the path does not exist, while an existing file or directory will receive updated file access and modification times (similar to the way touch works from the command line).

Answer 21

Easiest way to make a directory in Ansible.

• name: Create your_directory if it doesn't exist. file: path: /etc/your_directory

OR

You want to give sudo privileges to that directory.

• name: Create your_directory if it doesn't exist. file: path: /etc/your_directory mode: '777'

Answer 22

Hello good afternoon team.

I share the following with you.

   - name: Validar Directorio
     stat:
       path: /tmp/Sabana
     register: sabana_directorio
   
   - debug:
       msg: "Existe"
     when: sabana_directorio.stat.isdir == sabana_directorio.stat.isdir

   - name: Crear el directorio si no existe.
     file:
       path: /tmp/Sabana
       state: directory
     when: sabana_directorio.stat.exists == false

With which you can validate if the directory exists before creating it

Answer 23

I see lots of Playbooks examples and I would like to mention the Adhoc commands example.

$ansible -i inventory -m file -a "path=/tmp/direcory state=directory ( instead of directory we can mention touch to create files)

Answer 24

You need to use file module for this case. Below playbook you can use for your reference.

    ---
     - hosts: <Your target host group>
       name: play1
       tasks: 
        - name: Create Directory
          files:
           path=/srv/www/
           owner=<Intended User>
           mode=<Intended permission, e.g.: 0750>
           state=directory 

Answer 25

here is easier way.

- name: create dir command: mkdir -p dir dir/a dir/b