Modules don't have to return JSON, key=value pairs is ok.

lib/ansible/runner.py

@@ -18,11 +18,6 @@
 
 ################################################
 
-try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
-
 import fnmatch
 import multiprocessing
 import signal
@@ -209,7 +204,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         try:
             # try to parse the JSON response
-            return [ host, True, json.loads(result) ]
+            return [ host, True, parse_json(result) ]
         except Exception, e:
             # it failed, say so, but return the string anyway
             return [ host, False, "%s/%s" % (str(e), result) ]
@@ -324,7 +319,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         if self.module_name == 'setup':
             host = conn.host
             try:
-                var_result = json.loads(result)
+                var_result = parse_json(result)
             except:
                 var_result = {}
 

lib/ansible/utils.py

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 
 import sys
 import os
+import shlex
+from ansible.errors import *
+
 try:
     import json
 except ImportError:
@@ -183,4 +186,26 @@ def async_poll_status(jid, host, clock, result):
     else:
         return "<job %s> polling on %s, %s remaining" % (jid, host, clock)
 
+def parse_json(data):
+    try:
+        return json.loads(data)
+    except:
+        # not JSON, but try "Baby JSON" which allows many of our modules to not
+        # require JSON and makes writing modules in bash much simpler
+        results = {}
+        tokens = shlex.split(data)
+        for t in tokens:
+            if t.find("=") == -1:
+                raise AnsibleException("failed to parse: %s" % data)
+            (key,value) = t.split("=", 1)
+            if key == 'changed' or 'failed':
+                if value.lower() in [ 'true', '1' ] :
+                    value = True
+                elif value.lower() in [ 'false', '0' ]:
+                    value = False
+            if key == 'rc':
+                value = int(value)     
+            results[key] = value
+        return results
+
 

library/copy

@@ -22,11 +22,6 @@ import sys
 import os
 import shlex
 
-try:
-    import json
-except ImportError:
-    import simplejson as json
-
 # ===========================================
 # convert arguments of form a=b c=d
 # to a dictionary
@@ -51,10 +46,7 @@ dest = params['dest']
  
 # raise an error if there is no src file
 if not os.path.exists(src):
-    print json.dumps({
-        "failed" : 1,
-        "msg"    : "Source %s failed to transfer" % src
-    })
+    print "failed=1 msg='Source %s failed to transfer'" % src
     sys.exit(1)
 
 md5sum = None
@@ -70,9 +62,6 @@ if md5sum != md5sum2:
     changed = True
 
 # mission accomplished
-print json.dumps({
-   "md5sum"   : md5sum2,
-   "changed"  : changed 
-})
+print "md5sum=%s changed=%s" % (md5sum2, changed)
 
 

test/TestRunner.py

@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ class TestRunner(unittest.TestCase):
        result = self._run('shell', [ "/bin/echo", "$HOME" ])
        assert 'failed' not in result
        assert result['rc'] == 0 
-       raise Exception(result['stdout'])
    
 
    def test_setup(self):