win_psmodule with state 'latest' fails, if module exists in multiple repositories

[Just1Number]

SUMMARY

When setting state: latest in a win_psmodule task the function Find-LatestPsModule is called. This function returns a list of versions, if the module exists on multiple registered repositories and no repository was defined in the task. This results in a failure with an opaque error message (see ACTUAL RESULTS).

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

win_psmodule

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.16.0]
  config file = /home/user/.ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/home/user/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /opt/user/env/ansible/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /opt/user/ansible/collections
  executable location = /opt/user/env/ansible/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.11 (main, Dec  9 2024, 15:32:27) [GCC 8.5.0 20210514 (Red Hat 8.5.0-22)] (/opt/user/env/ansible/bin/python3.11)
  jinja version = 3.1.2
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

# /opt/user/ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.windows 2.0.0

# /opt/user/env/ansible/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.windows 2.0.0

# /opt/user/env/ansible/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.windows 2.0.0

CONFIGURATION

COLLECTIONS_PATHS(/home/user/.ansible.cfg) = ['/opt/user/ansible/collections']
CONFIG_FILE() = /home/user/.ansible.cfg

OS / ENVIRONMENT

Target OS: Windows Server 2019

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

• Register a repository containing a module also found in PSGallery
• Running Find-Module -Name $Name, where $Name is the duplicate module, should now return two lines:

PS > Find-Module -Name Microsoft.Graph

Version              Name                                Repository           Description
-------              ----                                ----------           -----------
2.29.1               Microsoft.Graph                     PSGallery            Microsoft Graph PowerShell module
2.26.1               Microsoft.Graph                     PSGalleryCopy        Microsoft Graph PowerShell module

Now running a playbook with the following task fails:

- name: Add Microsoft.Graph PowerShell module
  community.windows.win_psmodule:
    name: Microsoft.Graph # replace with the duplicate module
    accept_license: true # only needed, because this example uses Microsoft.Graph
    state: latest

EXPECTED RESULTS

Three solutions come to mind:

1. Always install from the repository containing the highest version
2. Throw an error indicating the module exists on multiple defined repositories
3. Throw an error suggesting the user to define a repository

I would tend for solutions 2 or 3

ACTUAL RESULTS

This error is returned

The full traceback is:
Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'RequiredVersion'. Cannot convert value to type System.String.

At line:485 char:26

+         Install-PsModule @ht

+                          ~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Install-PsModule], ParentContainsErrorRecordException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentTransformationError,Install-PsModule



ScriptStackTrace:

at <ScriptBlock>, <No file>: line 485

fatal: [hostname]: FAILED! => {
    "changed": false,
    "msg": "Unhandled exception while executing module: Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'RequiredVersion'. Cannot convert value to type System.String."
}

WORKAROUND

Define the repository in the win_psmodule task