How to copy directory and sub dirs s and files from source to remote using ansible playbook

Question

How to copy directory and sub dirs's and files from source to remote using ansible playbook.

Kalgi · Answer 1 · Apr 3, 2019

Hey @Nishant, you can use the copy module provided by Ansible to copy files and folders from the local server to the remote servers, all you've to do is change those file's/folder's permissions.

Example:

- hosts: hosts
  tasks:
  - name: Ansible copy file to remote server
    copy:
      src: ~/sample.txt
      dest: /tmp

If you wish to copy the files from the remote server to the local server then use the fetch module.

There's yet another module Template provided by Ansible which lets you use variables which can be modified like the IP address and then copied to another server.

answered Apr 3, 2019 by Kalgi
• 52,350 points

Thanks Kalgi for response however my understanding is copy module copies only the files however I am looking for recursive directories copy let me know the code which can do this.

commented Apr 3, 2019 by Nishant
• 160 points

Kalgi can you help with the above request?

commented Apr 4, 2019 by Nishant
• 160 points

As far as I know, you use the copy module itself for copying recursive directories.

commented Apr 5, 2019 by Kalgi
• 52,350 points

Or you can try something like this:

- hosts: remote-server-name
  gather_facts: no
  vars:
    src_path: "/path/to/source/"
    des_path: "/path/to/dest/"
  tasks:
  - name: Ansible copy files remote to remote
    shell: 'cp -r {{ src_path }}/. {{ des_path }}'

commented Apr 5, 2019 by Kalgi
• 52,350 points

Job is getting passed however the files and dir not getting transferred/created on remote

below is the code as suggested by you

- hosts: Testservers

  gather_facts: no

  vars:

    src_path: "/home/ubuntu/devopscert"

    des_path: "/home/ubuntu/ansiblecopy"

  tasks:

  - name: Ansible copy files remote to remote

    shell: 'cp -r {{ src_path }}/. {{ des_path }}'

below is the tree path on the Jenkins server (ansible is on ame machine)

└── devopscert

    └── website

        ├── config.php

        ├── content

        │   ├── 404.php

        │   ├── about-us.php

        │   ├── contact.php

        │   ├── home.php

        │   └── products.php

        ├── functions.php

        ├── index.php

        ├── readme.md

        └── template

            └── template.php

Below is the tree path on the destination/remote server

├── jenkins

└── ubuntu

    ├── ansiblecopy

    ├── devopscert

    └── dockertest

        └── Dockerfile

Below is the output of the Jenkins job

Building in workspace /var/lib/jenkins/workspace/Ansible_Copy2

[Ansible_Copy2] $ /usr/bin/ansible-playbook /etc/ansible/ansiblecopy2.yml -i /etc/ansible/hosts -f 5 --private-key /tmp/ssh7705887690036058683.key -u jenkins

[DEPRECATION WARNING]: DEFAULT_SUDO option, In favor of Ansible Become, which

is a generic framework , use become instead. This feature will be removed in

version 2.8. Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting

deprecation_warnings=False in ansible.cfg.

[DEPRECATION WARNING]: DEFAULT_SUDO_USER option, In favor of Ansible Become,

which is a generic framework. See become_user. , use become instead. This

feature will be removed in version 2.8. Deprecation warnings can be disabled by

setting deprecation_warnings=False in ansible.cfg.

[DEPRECATION WARNING]: The sudo command line option has been deprecated in

favor of the "become" command line arguments. This feature will be removed in

version 2.9. Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting

deprecation_warnings=False in ansible.cfg.

PLAY [Testservers] *************************************************************

TASK [Ansible copy files remote to remote] *************************************

changed: [webservers]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************

webservers                 : ok=1    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0

Finished: SUCCESS