5.1.0 breaks `alternatives` on RHEL 8

[jbpratt]

Summary

When I try to run the below task, I receive a usage error from update-alternatives. Prior to 5.1.0, this works as expected. It looks like the --slave argument is missing a required value (--slave unversioned-python /usr/bin/python3 compared to --slave <slave_link> <slave_name> <slave_path>). Downgrading to 5.0.2 is a workaround.

Issue Type

Bug Report

Component Name

alternatives

Ansible Version

$ ansible --version
ansible [core 2.12.6]
  config file = /tmp/y/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/var/home/bpratt/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /tmp/y/venv/lib64/python3.10/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /var/home/bpratt/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /tmp/y/venv/bin/ansible-playbook
  python version = 3.10.4 (main, Mar 25 2022, 00:00:00) [GCC 12.0.1 20220308 (Red Hat 12.0.1-0)]
  jinja version = 3.1.2
  libyaml = True

Community.general Version

$ ansible-galaxy collection list community.general

# /var/home/bpratt/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.general 5.1.0

# /tmp/y/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.general 4.8.2

# /tmp/y/venv/lib64/python3.10/site-packages/ansible_collections
Collection        Version
----------------- -------
community.general 4.8.2

Configuration

$ ansible-config dump --only-changed

OS / Environment

RHEL 8

Steps to Reproduce

    - community.general.alternatives:
        name: python
        path: /usr/bin/python3
        link: /usr/bin/python

Expected Results

{"changed": true}

Actual Results

TASK [community.general.alternatives] *******************************************************************************************************************************************
task path: /tmp/xyz/playbook.yml:4
redirecting (type: modules) community.general.alternatives to community.general.system.alternatives
fatal: [10.0.101.1]: FAILED! => changed=false
  ansible_facts:
    discovered_interpreter_python: /usr/libexec/platform-python
  cmd: /usr/sbin/update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 50 --slave unversioned-python /usr/bin/python3 --slave unversioned-python-man /usr/share/man/man1/python3.1.gz
  msg: ''
  rc: 2
  stderr: ''
  stderr_lines: <omitted>
  stdout: |-
    alternatives version 1.19.1 - Copyright (C) 2001 Red Hat, Inc.
    This may be freely redistributed under the terms of the GNU Public License.

    usage: alternatives --install <link> <name> <path> <priority>
                        [--initscript <service>]
                        [--family <family>]
                        [--slave <slave_link> <slave_name> <slave_path>]*
           alternatives --remove <name> <path>
           alternatives --auto <name>
           alternatives --config <name>
           alternatives --display <name>
           alternatives --set <name> <path>
           alternatives --list
           alternatives --remove-all <name>
           alternatives --add-slave <name> <path> <slave_link> <slave_name> <slave_path>
           alternatives --remove-slave <name> <path> <slave_name>

    common options: --verbose --test --help --usage --version --keep-missing --keep-foreign
                    --altdir <directory> --admindir <directory>
  stdout_lines: <omitted>

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow the Ansible Code of Conduct

[ansibullbot]

Files identified in the description:

• plugins/modules/system/alternatives.py

If these files are incorrect, please update the component name section of the description or use the !component bot command.

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[ansibullbot]

cc @mulby
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[felixfontein]

CC @jiuka

[felixfontein]

resolved_by_pr #4810

[felixfontein]

Unfortunately that PR does not fix this issue, see #4810 (comment)