test.yaml

---
#  Why cannot the template module access the template file?
- name: Is this a bug?
  hosts: localhost  # On a remote host this has the same behaviour.
  connection: local
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: debug whoami  # running as root
      local_action: "shell whoami"

    - name: create tmp dir
      local_action:
        module: tempfile
        state: directory
      register: test_dir

    - name: show tmp dir path
      debug:
        msg: "{{ test_dir.path }}"

    - name: create file
      local_action: "shell touch {{ test_dir.path }}/tmp.0"

    - name: copy template file
      local_action:
        module: copy
        src: "test.j2"
        dest: "{{ test_dir.path }}/"

    - name: list tmp dir  # all the files are owned by root
      local_action: "shell ls -l {{ test_dir.path }}"

    - name: render templates  # cannot access test.j2
      local_action:
        module: template
        src: "{{ test_dir.path }}/test.j2"
        dest: "{{ test_dir.path }}/test.txt"
      ignore_errors: true

    - name: chmod tmp dir  # readable to all
      local_action: "shell chmod -R a+rX {{ test_dir.path }}"

    - name: list tmp dir
      local_action: "shell ls -l {{ test_dir.path }}"

    - name: render templates  # now it suceeds
      local_action:
        module: template
        src: "{{ test_dir.path }}/test.j2"
        dest: "{{ test_dir.path }}/test.txt"