Molecule reads collections_path and ignores collection_paths in ansible.cfg

[amarao]

Issue Type

• Bug report

Molecule and Ansible details

molecule 4.0.1 using python 3.10 
    ansible:2.12.6
    delegated:4.0.1 from molecule

Molecule installation method (one of):

• pip

Ansible installation method (one of):

• pip

Detail any linters or test runners used:

Molecule set ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH env variable based on collections_path variable in ansible.cfg, whilst ansible has migrated to collections_paths ("s" at the end of paths).

I believe, molecule should respect modern (5.12/5.13 versions of ansible-core) setting.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Create new project
2. Configure ansible.cfg:

   [defaults]
   collection_path = collection
   

3. Run molecule --debug create
4. Observe value for ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH. It includes the current_project_directory/collections.
5. Change ansible.cfg:

   [defaults]
   collection_paths = collection
   

6. Run molecule reset
7. run moecule --debug create
8. Observe value for ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH.

It does not include current_project_directory/collections.

[zhan9san]

@amarao

Thanks for reporting this.

There are multiple ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH in the output of moecule --debug create.

Here is what I tested.

molecule init role -d docker acme.my_new_role
cd my_new_role

cat <<EOF > ~/.ansible.cfg
[defaults]
collection_path = collection
EOF

molecule --debug create

Could you provide the specific actual behavior and expected behavior when we use collection_paths?

[nre-ableton]

I am having similar troubles with molecule. We want to use a custom value for ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATH, but molecule doesn't respect this env var at all.

[amarao]

As far as I got from code, custom collections are ignored at create stage, but work at converge. But you need to update molecule.yml section for corresponding ansible.cfg options.