community.general.dpkg_divert module – Override a debian package’s version of a file

Note

This module is part of the community.general collection (version 10.1.0).

You might already have this collection installed if you are using the ansible package. It is not included in ansible-core. To check whether it is installed, run ansible-galaxy collection list.

To install it, use: ansible-galaxy collection install community.general. You need further requirements to be able to use this module, see Requirements for details.

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

New in community.general 0.2.0

Synopsis

  • A diversion is for dpkg the knowledge that only a given package (or the local administrator) is allowed to install a file at a given location. Other packages shipping their own version of this file will be forced to divert it, that is to install it at another location. It allows one to keep changes in a file provided by a debian package by preventing its overwrite at package upgrade.

  • This module manages diversions of debian packages files using the dpkg-divert commandline tool. It can either create or remove a diversion for a given file, but also update an existing diversion to modify its holder and/or its divert location.

Requirements

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

  • dpkg-divert >= 1.15.0 (Debian family)

Parameters

Parameter

Comments

divert

path

The location where the versions of file will be diverted.

Default is to add suffix .distrib to the file path.

This parameter is ignored when state=absent.

force

boolean

When rename=true and force=true, renaming is performed even if the target of the renaming exists, i.e. the existing contents of the file at this location will be lost.

This parameter is ignored when rename=false.

Choices:

  • false ← (default)

  • true

holder

string

The name of the package whose copy of file is not diverted, also known as the diversion holder or the package the diversion belongs to.

The actual package does not have to be installed or even to exist for its name to be valid. If not specified, the diversion is hold by ‘LOCAL’, that is reserved by/for dpkg for local diversions.

This parameter is ignored when state=absent.

path

path / required

The original and absolute path of the file to be diverted or undiverted. This path is unique, i.e. it is not possible to get two diversions for the same path.

rename

boolean

Actually move the file aside (when state=present) or back (when state=absent), but only when changing the state of the diversion. This parameter has no effect when attempting to add a diversion that already exists or when removing an unexisting one.

Unless force=true, renaming fails if the destination file already exists (this lock being a dpkg-divert feature, and bypassing it being a module feature).

Choices:

  • false ← (default)

  • true

state

string

When state=absent, remove the diversion of the specified path; when state=present, create the diversion if it does not exist, or update its package holder or divert location, if it already exists.

Choices:

  • "absent"

  • "present" ← (default)

Attributes

Attribute

Support

Description

check_mode

Support: full

Can run in check_mode and return changed status prediction without modifying target.

diff_mode

Support: full

Will return details on what has changed (or possibly needs changing in check_mode), when in diff mode.

Examples

- name: Divert /usr/bin/busybox to /usr/bin/busybox.distrib and keep file in place
  community.general.dpkg_divert:
    path: /usr/bin/busybox

- name: Divert /usr/bin/busybox by package 'branding'
  community.general.dpkg_divert:
    path: /usr/bin/busybox
    holder: branding

- name: Divert and rename busybox to busybox.dpkg-divert
  community.general.dpkg_divert:
    path: /usr/bin/busybox
    divert: /usr/bin/busybox.dpkg-divert
    rename: true

- name: Remove the busybox diversion and move the diverted file back
  community.general.dpkg_divert:
    path: /usr/bin/busybox
    state: absent
    rename: true
    force: true

Return Values

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

Key

Description

commands

list / elements=string

The dpkg-divert commands ran internally by the module.

Returned: on_success

Sample: ["/usr/bin/dpkg-divert --no-rename --remove /etc/foobarrc"]

diversion

dictionary

The status of the diversion after task execution.

Returned: always

Sample: {"divert": "/etc/foobarrc.distrib", "holder": "LOCAL", "path": "/etc/foobarrc", "state": "present"}

divert

string

The location of the diverted file.

Returned: success

holder

string

The package holding the diversion.

Returned: success

path

string

The path of the file to divert/undivert.

Returned: success

state

string

The state of the diversion.

Returned: success

messages

list / elements=string

The dpkg-divert relevant messages (stdout or stderr).

Returned: on_success

Sample: ["Removing 'local diversion of /etc/foobarrc to /etc/foobarrc.distrib'"]

Authors

  • quidame (@quidame)