community.general.lxc_container – Manage LXC Containers

Note

This plugin is part of the community.general collection (version 2.5.1).

To install it use: ansible-galaxy collection install community.general.

To use it in a playbook, specify: community.general.lxc_container.

Synopsis

  • Management of LXC containers.

Requirements

The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.

Parameters

Parameter Choices/Defaults Comments
archive
boolean
    Choices:
  • no ←
  • yes
Create an archive of a container.
This will create a tarball of the running container.
archive_compression
string
    Choices:
  • gzip ←
  • bzip2
  • none
Type of compression to use when creating an archive of a running container.
archive_path
path
Path the save the archived container.
If the path does not exist the archive method will attempt to create it.
backing_store
string
    Choices:
  • dir ←
  • lvm
  • loop
  • btrfs
  • overlayfs
  • zfs
Backend storage type for the container.
clone_name
string
Name of the new cloned server.
This is only used when state is clone.
clone_snapshot
boolean
    Choices:
  • no ←
  • yes
Create a snapshot a container when cloning.
This is not supported by all container storage backends.
Enabling this may fail if the backing store does not support snapshots.
config
path
Path to the LXC configuration file.
container_command
string
Run a command within a container.
container_config
list / elements=string
A list of key=value options to use when configuring a container.
container_log
boolean
    Choices:
  • no ←
  • yes
Enable a container log for host actions to the container.
container_log_level
string
    Choices:
  • Info
  • info
  • INFO ←
  • Error
  • error
  • ERROR
  • Debug
  • debug
  • DEBUG
Set the log level for a container where *container_log* was set.
directory
path
Place rootfs directory under DIR.
fs_size
string
Default:
"5G"
File system Size.
fs_type
string
Default:
"ext4"
Create fstype TYPE.
lv_name
string
Name of the logical volume, defaults to the container name.
If not specified, it defaults to $CONTAINER_NAME.
lxc_path
path
Place container under PATH.
name
string / required
Name of a container.
state
string
    Choices:
  • started ←
  • stopped
  • restarted
  • absent
  • frozen
  • clone
Define the state of a container.
If you clone a container using clone_name the newly cloned container created in a stopped state.
The running container will be stopped while the clone operation is happening and upon completion of the clone the original container state will be restored.
template
string
Default:
"ubuntu"
Name of the template to use within an LXC create.
template_options
string
Template options when building the container.
thinpool
string
Use LVM thin pool called TP.
vg_name
string
Default:
"lxc"
If backend store is lvm, specify the name of the volume group.
zfs_root
string
Create zfs under given zfsroot.

Notes

Note

  • Containers must have a unique name. If you attempt to create a container with a name that already exists in the users namespace the module will simply return as “unchanged”.

  • The “container_command” can be used with any state except “absent”. If used with state “stopped” the container will be “started”, the command executed, and then the container “stopped” again. Likewise if the state is “stopped” and the container does not exist it will be first created, “started”, the command executed, and then “stopped”. If you use a “|” in the variable you can use common script formatting within the variable itself The “container_command” option will always execute as BASH. When using “container_command” a log file is created in the /tmp/ directory which contains both stdout and stderr of any command executed.

  • If “archive” is true the system will attempt to create a compressed tarball of the running container. The “archive” option supports LVM backed containers and will create a snapshot of the running container when creating the archive.

  • If your distro does not have a package for “python2-lxc”, which is a requirement for this module, it can be installed from source at “https://github.com/lxc/python2-lxc” or installed via pip using the package name lxc-python2.

Examples

- name: Create a started container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-started
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: started
    template_options: --release trusty

- name: Create a stopped container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-stopped
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: stopped
    template_options: --release trusty

- name: Create a frozen container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-frozen
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: frozen
    template_options: --release trusty
    container_command: |
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/started-frozen

# Create filesystem container, configure it, and archive it, and start it.
- name: Create filesystem container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-config
    backing_store: dir
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: started
    archive: true
    archive_compression: none
    container_config:
      - "lxc.aa_profile=unconfined"
      - "lxc.cgroup.devices.allow=a *:* rmw"
    template_options: --release trusty

# Create an lvm container, run a complex command in it, add additional
# configuration to it, create an archive of it, and finally leave the container
# in a frozen state. The container archive will be compressed using bzip2
- name: Create a frozen lvm container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-lvm
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: frozen
    backing_store: lvm
    template_options: --release trusty
    container_command: |
      apt-get update
      apt-get install -y vim lxc-dev
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/started
      if [[ -f "/opt/started" ]]; then
          echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/found-started
      fi
    container_config:
      - "lxc.aa_profile=unconfined"
      - "lxc.cgroup.devices.allow=a *:* rmw"
    archive: true
    archive_compression: bzip2
  register: lvm_container_info

- name: Debug info on container "test-container-lvm"
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: lvm_container_info

- name: Run a command in a container and ensure its in a "stopped" state.
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-started
    state: stopped
    container_command: |
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/stopped

- name: Run a command in a container and ensure its it in a "frozen" state.
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-stopped
    state: frozen
    container_command: |
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/frozen

- name: Start a container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-stopped
    state: started

- name: Run a command in a container and then restart it
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-started
    state: restarted
    container_command: |
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/restarted

- name: Run a complex command within a "running" container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-started
    container_command: |
      apt-get update
      apt-get install -y curl wget vim apache2
      echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/started
      if [[ -f "/opt/started" ]]; then
          echo 'hello world.' | tee /opt/found-started
      fi

# Create an archive of an existing container, save the archive to a defined
# path and then destroy it.
- name: Archive container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-started
    state: absent
    archive: true
    archive_path: /opt/archives

# Create a container using overlayfs, create an archive of it, create a
# snapshot clone of the container and and finally leave the container
# in a frozen state. The container archive will be compressed using gzip.
- name: Create an overlayfs container archive and clone it
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-overlayfs
    container_log: true
    template: ubuntu
    state: started
    backing_store: overlayfs
    template_options: --release trusty
    clone_snapshot: true
    clone_name: test-container-overlayfs-clone-snapshot
    archive: true
    archive_compression: gzip
  register: clone_container_info

- name: Debug info on container "test-container"
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: clone_container_info

- name: Clone a container using snapshot
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-overlayfs-clone-snapshot
    backing_store: overlayfs
    clone_name: test-container-overlayfs-clone-snapshot2
    clone_snapshot: true

- name: Create a new container and clone it
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-new-archive
    backing_store: dir
    clone_name: test-container-new-archive-clone

- name: Archive and clone a container then destroy it
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-new-archive
    state: absent
    clone_name: test-container-new-archive-destroyed-clone
    archive: true
    archive_compression: gzip

- name: Start a cloned container.
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: test-container-new-archive-destroyed-clone
    state: started

- name: Destroy a container
  community.general.lxc_container:
    name: '{{ item }}'
    state: absent
  with_items:
    - test-container-stopped
    - test-container-started
    - test-container-frozen
    - test-container-lvm
    - test-container-config
    - test-container-overlayfs
    - test-container-overlayfs-clone
    - test-container-overlayfs-clone-snapshot
    - test-container-overlayfs-clone-snapshot2
    - test-container-new-archive
    - test-container-new-archive-clone
    - test-container-new-archive-destroyed-clone

Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key Returned Description
lxc_container
complex
success
container information
 
archive
string
success, when archive is true
resulting state of the container

Sample:
/tmp/test-container-config.tar
 
clone
boolean
success, when clone_name is specified
if the container was cloned

Sample:
True
 
init_pid
integer
success
pid of the lxc init process

Sample:
19786
 
interfaces
list / elements=string
success
list of the container's network interfaces

Sample:
['eth0', 'lo']
 
ips
list / elements=string
success
list of ips

Sample:
['10.0.3.3']
 
name
string
success
name of the lxc container

Sample:
test_host
 
state
string
success
resulting state of the container

Sample:
running


Authors

  • Kevin Carter (@cloudnull)