Error when rsync is not installed on host

[Momolem]

When rsync is not installed on the host system then the "Synchronize internet-monitoring directory." fails

[quadespresso]

@Momolem out of genuine curiosity, what would your expectation be here?

Something like the following might do the trick, if only to inform the user that they need to install rsync:

- name: Check if rsync is installed locally
  command: which rsync
  delegate_to: localhost
  register: rsync_check
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: false

- name: Fail if rsync is not installed
  fail:
    msg: "rsync is not installed on the control machine. Please install rsync to continue."
  when: rsync_check.rc != 0

Add the above to line 13, just ahead of the synchronize task: https://github.com/geerlingguy/internet-pi/blob/master/tasks/internet-monitoring.yml#L13

I've not tested this. But it should check if rsync is in the executable PATH; if not, it should complain loudly with the indicated error message and exit.

If you wanted something more elaborate that ensures rsync is installed first, that's something that could start simple (eg, assume the host system is running Ubuntu), affording others with different platforms to expand to support their platforms.

[Momolem]

Thank you for that, I am not sure what the best practices are using ansible since I am just starting using it.
I think we have two options.
The first option would be the code you provided. This way it is be clear, that it is missing on localhost and not on the remote machine

In my opinion it could also just be installed on the local machine if it is missing but i am not sure if that is considered best practice

[quadespresso]

The challenge with using a playbook to ensure that rsync is installed on the management host is in ensuring coverage for every (likely) platform. The best approach here would be to only add the code if the contributor is able to test it. So for example, there would need to be code for RHEL, Ubuntu, Arch. Ensuring support for, let's say, NixOS might result in some opinions -> this might be an example where just throwing the aforementioned warning would be the recommended path. One contributor could start things off with something along the lines of "if Ubuntu(/Debian) then install else throw warning", and someone else could add code for RHEL, someone else could add code for Arch, someone else could add for Alpine, etc.

Another possibility might be to containerise the local code as well. This would then add the requirement to have Docker installed on the management host, but it would minimise the if/then/else of the rsync package install.

At minimum, having it throw a helpful warning might be a good start. I don't know if you've already worked around the reported issue; if not, could you try adding the suggested code above and running the playbook to see if you get the desired behaviour?

[Momolem]

Yes I've installed rsync and then it worked. But i can try it out in the next couple of days, it might take me a few days until I have access to the target system again

[github-actions]

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