[zypper] "msg: Zypper run command failed with return code 5." when using community.general.zypper module on MicroOS

[ExNG]

Summary

Using the following snippet on a freshly installed MicroOS will result in the zypper module not using transactional-update.

---
- hosts: test
  tasks:
    - name: Install fail2ban
      community.general.zypper:
        name: fail2ban
        state: present

Failling with:

PLAY [test] ****************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ****************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [test]


TASK [Install fail2ban] ***************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [test]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  cmd:
  - /usr/bin/zypper
  - --quiet
  - --non-interactive
  - --xmlout
  - install
  - --type
  - package
  - --auto-agree-with-licenses
  - --no-recommends
  - --
  - +fail2ban
  msg: Zypper run command failed with return code 5.
  rc: 5
  stderr: ''
  stderr_lines: <omitted>
  stdout: |-
    <?xml version='1.0'?>
    <stream>
    <message type="error">This is a transactional-server, please use transactional-update to update or modify the system.</message>
    </stream>
  stdout_lines: <omitted>

Issue Type

Bug Report

Component Name

community.general.zypper module

Ansible Version

$ ansible --version

Community.general Version

$ ansible-galaxy collection list community.general
# /home/VENV/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.general 6.0.1  

Configuration

$ ansible-config dump --only-changed
CONFIG_FILE() = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

OS / Environment

openSUSE Tumbleweed

Steps to Reproduce

- hosts: test
  tasks:
    - name: Install fail2ban
      community.general.zypper:
        name: fail2ban
        state: present

Expected Results

TASK [Install fail2ban] ***************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [test]

Actual Results

TASK [Install fail2ban] ***************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [test]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  cmd:
  - /usr/bin/zypper
  - --quiet
  - --non-interactive
  - --xmlout
  - install
  - --type
  - package
  - --auto-agree-with-licenses
  - --no-recommends
  - --
  - +fail2ban
  msg: Zypper run command failed with return code 5.
  rc: 5
  stderr: ''
  stderr_lines: <omitted>
  stdout: |-
    <?xml version='1.0'?>
    <stream>
    <message type="error">This is a transactional-server, please use transactional-update to update or modify the system.</message>
    </stream>
  stdout_lines: <omitted>

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow the Ansible Code of Conduct

[ansibullbot]

Files identified in the description:

• plugins/modules/zypper.py

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[ansibullbot]

cc @AnderEnder @alxgu @andytom @commel @dcermak @evrardjp @lrupp @sealor @toabctl
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[felixfontein]

Right now the module detects whether it should use transactional-update by looking whether /var/lib/misc/transactional-update.state exists. I guess that's not sufficient on MicroOS.

[ExNG]

An additional check if transactional-update exists might help

[ExNG]

I propose testing if /usr/sbin/transactional-update exists.

See ExNG@5fd014f

[felixfontein]

CC @sebix who implemented support for transactional updates in #3164.

[sebix]

Great to see that the support for transactional-updates / MicroOS & Co. is actually used :)

I propose testing if /usr/sbin/transactional-update exists.

I'm not sure if that's correct, I had that in mind when implementing it, but intentionally decided against it. Does anything like /var/lib/misc/transactional-update.state exist on your system? Maybe they changed paths or file names.
Otherwise I'd first ask in the openSUSE community for advice to get it right and correct now.

[ExNG]

Sorry i only yet got around testing.
So my setup isn't MicroOs per se, rather a Tumbleweed install with transactional-update.
Nonetheless the same Problem plagues fresh MicroOS installs too, /var/lib/misc/transactional-update.state doesnt exist on a fresh install but will after the first snapshot was created.
I tested this in blank new VMs with the Tumbleweed DVD iso and and the MicroOS VM image.