How to create a directory using Ansible - directory

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