Overview

Date: 2026-05-11

Time: 15:12

Overview

Local execution is FTL2's simplest operational mode, where modules run directly on the same machine via subprocess rather than over SSH. It requires ansible_connection: local in the inventory and uses LocalModuleRunner instead of RemoteModuleRunner. This mode is ideal for development testing, single-machine administration, and learning FTL2 fundamentals without network complexity.

Key Concepts

• Local execution bypasses SSH entirely — modules execute as subprocesses on the local machine
• LocalModuleRunner is used instead of RemoteModuleRunner when connection type is "local"
• No gate module is involved in local execution (gate is a remote execution optimization)
• ansible_connection: local is the inventory directive that triggers local mode
• ansiblepythoninterpreter must point to a valid Python 3.11+ path on the system
• Results return immediately with no network overhead

Commands and Syntax

CLI pattern: ftl2 -m <module> -i <inventory> [-a "<key=value args>"]

| Command | Purpose |

|---------|---------|

| ftl2 -m ping -i inventory.yml | Test connectivity (returns "ping": "pong") |

| ftl2 -m setup -i inventory.yml | Gather system facts (OS, memory, CPU) |

| ftl2 -m file -i inventory.yml -a "path=/tmp/x state=touch" | Create a file |

| ftl2 -m file -i inventory.yml -a "path=/tmp/x state=absent" | Remove a file |

| ftl2 -m shell -i inventory.yml -a "cmd='echo Hello'" | Run a shell command |

| ftl2 -m copy -i inventory.yml -a "src=/tmp/a dest=/tmp/b" | Copy a file |

Inventory configuration:

all:
  hosts:
    localhost:
      ansible_connection: local
      ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3

Relationships

• Inventory management — local execution depends on correct inventory configuration with ansible_connection: local
• Module usage — demonstrates core modules (ping, setup, file, shell, copy) and the -m / -a CLI pattern used across all execution modes
• Privilege escalation — some local operations require sudo; connects to become/sudo/doas configuration
• Gate modules — local execution explicitly does NOT use gate, contrasting with remote execution
• Remote execution (Example 02) — the natural next step, introducing SSH and RemoteModuleRunner
• Migration from Ansible — inventory keys (ansibleconnection, ansiblepython_interpreter) use Ansible-compatible naming

Exam-Relevant Points

• The inventory key for local execution is ansibleconnection: local (not connectiontype or similar)
• Local execution uses LocalModuleRunner, remote uses RemoteModuleRunner
• Gate modules are NOT used in local execution
• The ping module returns {"changed": false, "ping": "pong"} — note changed: false
• The shell module returns {"changed": true, "stdout": "...", "stderr": "...", "rc": 0} — note changed: true
• The file module uses state=touch to create and state=absent to remove
• Module arguments are passed via -a flag as space-separated key=value pairs
• Python 3.11+ is required
• Common troubleshooting: wrong ansiblepythoninterpreter path, missing module (wrong working directory), permission denied on protected paths