inventory variables: multiple spaces collapsed to single spaces

[amunro-tsl]

Summary

When using controller_inventories variables with a config block with multiple spaces, the spaces are collapsed to single spaces.

Issue Type

• Bug Report

Ansible, Collection, Controller details

ansible --version
core 2.15.11

ansible-galaxy collection list
infra.controller_configuration:2.8.1

Controller version: installed from 2.4.7 bundle.

• ansible installation method: one of source, pip, OS package, EE

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Desired Behavior

Actual Behavior

Please give some details of what is actually happening.
Include a [minimum complete verifiable example] with:

• playbook / task
• configuration file / list
• error

controller_inventories:
  - name: helix_test
    organization: Infrastructure_Services
    variables:
      ansible_connection: ssh
      ansible_user: ansible
      ansible_become_user: root
      managed_ansible: |
        #######################################
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        ## This file is managed by Ansible   ##
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        #######################################
      motd_template: doublehelix

This turns up in the inventory in the gui as:

managed_ansible: |
  #######################################
  ##DO NOT EDIT!##
  ## This file is managed by Ansible##
  ##DO NOT EDIT!##
  #######################################

I have checked the source for tabs or any odd control characters; its just spaces and ASCII codes.

$ cat a
---
controller_inventories:
  - name: helix_test
    variables:
      managed_ansible: |
        #######################################
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        ## This file is managed by Ansible   ##
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        #######################################

$ od -a a
0000000   -   -   -  nl   c   o   n   t   r   o   l   l   e   r   _   i
0000020   n   v   e   n   t   o   r   i   e   s   :  nl  sp  sp   -  sp
0000040   n   a   m   e   :  sp   h   e   l   i   x   _   t   e   s   t
0000060  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp   v   a   r   i   a   b   l   e   s   :  nl
0000100  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp   m   a   n   a   g   e   d   _   a   n
0000120   s   i   b   l   e   :  sp   |  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000140  sp   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #
0000160   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #
0000200   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000220  sp   #   #  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp   D
0000240   O  sp   N   O   T  sp   E   D   I   T   !  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000260  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp   #   #  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000300  sp   #   #  sp   T   h   i   s  sp   f   i   l   e  sp   i   s
0000320  sp   m   a   n   a   g   e   d  sp   b   y  sp   A   n   s   i
0000340   b   l   e  sp  sp  sp   #   #  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000360  sp   #   #  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp   D
0000400   O  sp   N   O   T  sp   E   D   I   T   !  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000420  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp   #   #  nl  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp  sp
0000440  sp   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #
0000460   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #
0000500   #   #   #   #   #   #   #   #  nl
0000511

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

$ cat controller_automator_dev.yml 
---
- name: Add objects to Automation Controller
  hosts: controller_dev
  connection: local
    roles:
    - infra.controller_configuration.dispatch

$ cat base_config/host_vars/controller_dev/inventories.yml 
---
controller_inventories:
  - name: helix_test
    organization: Demo
    variables:
      managed_ansible: |
        #######################################
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        ## This file is managed by Ansible   ##
        ##            DO NOT EDIT!           ##
        #######################################
      ansible_connection: ssh

$ ansible-playbook controller_automator_dev.yml -i base_config

[Tompage1994]

Hi @amunro-tsl thanks for this bug report.

I've found the offending line:

https://github.com/redhat-cop/controller_configuration/blob/a2b7b51e97b279782f97a76f21871e5e82742ce3/roles/inventories/tasks/main.yml#L11

I'll do some investigation why the regex_replace is needed there and see if I can find a fix or workaround for this

[Tompage1994]

This section of the readme explains why we strip spaces. I'll see if I can do something more clever with this

Formating Variables
Variables can use a standard Jinja templating format to describe the resource.

Example:

{{ variable }}
Because of this it is difficult to provide controller with the required format for these fields.

The workaround is to use the following format:

{  { variable }}
The role will strip the double space between the curly bracket in order to provide controller with the correct format for the Variables.

[amunro-tsl]

Thanks @Tompage1994 .