`synchronize` reports `changed_when` when excluded file has changed

[martin-braun]

SUMMARY

changed_when seems not to respect excluded files via rsync_opts. If the given file was changed, despite not being synchronized when running the playbook, synchronize will result in changed_when = True.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

ansible.posix.synchronize

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.16.3]
  config file = /Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/Users/marty/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/local/Cellar/ansible/9.2.0/libexec/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /Users/marty/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.12.1 (main, Dec  7 2023, 20:45:44) [Clang 15.0.0 (clang-1500.1.0.2.5)] (/usr/local/Cellar/ansible/9.2.0/libexec/bin/python)
  jinja version = 3.1.3

COLLECTION VERSION

# /usr/local/Cellar/ansible/9.2.0/libexec/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection    Version
------------- -------
ansible.posix 1.5.4

CONFIGURATION

ANSIBLE_NOCOWS(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = True
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = magenta
CONFIG_FILE() = /Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg
DEFAULT_GATHERING(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = explicit
DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = ['/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/inventory.cfg']
DEFAULT_LOG_PATH(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = /Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.log
DEFAULT_STRATEGY(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = linear
DIFF_ALWAYS(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = True
DIFF_CONTEXT(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = 5
EDITOR(env: EDITOR) = vim
PERSISTENT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = 15
PERSISTENT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = 15
RETRY_FILES_ENABLED(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = True
RETRY_FILES_SAVE_PATH(/Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible.cfg) = /Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server/ansible/.retry

OS / ENVIRONMENT

macOS -> Debian

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Have a project that contains a playbook.yml and a few other files. Now in your playbook define a task to synchronize the project onto a server in production:

    - name: Ensure app files
      ansible.posix.synchronize:
        src: "./"
        dest: "/var/www/ansible-test"
        recursive: True
        delete: True
        rsync_opts:
          - "'--exclude=/playbook.yml'"

This will synchronize all files, but the playbook.yml. It works. On continues calls changed_when = False. But now change something in the playbook.yml and re-run it.

EXPECTED RESULTS

It should changed_when = False regardless of me changing the file or not.

Verbose output:

changed: {"ansible_loop_var": "item", "changed": true, "cmd": "/usr/local/bin/rsync --delay-updates -F --compress --delete-after --archive --rsh='/usr/bin/ssh -S none -o StrictHostKe
yChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null' '--exclude=/playbook.yml' --out-format='<<CHANGED>>%i %n%L' /Users/marty/.sources/github.com/martin-braun/gf-server gf:/var/www/ansible-test/.", "item": ".", "msg": "<f.st..
..... gf-server/playbook.yml\n", "rc": 0, "stdout_lines": ["<f.st....... gf-server/playbook.yml"]}

ACTUAL RESULTS

It will now result in changed_when = True, although the playbook.yml itself is skipped by --exclude.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

My local ansible.cfg:

[defaults]
inventory = inventory.cfg
gathering = explicit
log_path = ansible.log
strategy = linear
nocows = 1
retry_files_enabled = True
retry_files_save_path = ./ansible/.retry

[ssh_connection]
scp_if_ssh = True
transfer_method = scp
retries = 1

[persistent_connection]
connect_timeout = 15
command_timeout = 15

[colors]
highlight = magenta

[diff]
always = True
context = 5

Please note I call setup in my playbook above the task, so facts are gathered regardless of me specifying explicit.