- name: "Install packages: uuid-runtime" package: name: uuid-runtime state: present - name: Does /etc/iiab/uuid exist? stat: path: /etc/iiab/uuid register: uuid_file - name: If not, run 'uuidgen' to create a uuid, in register uuid_response command: uuidgen register: uuid_response when: not uuid_file.stat.exists - name: Save it to /etc/iiab/uuid shell: echo {{ uuid_response.stdout_lines[0] }} > /etc/iiab/uuid when: not uuid_file.stat.exists - name: Load /etc/iiab/uuid, into register stored_uuid command: cat /etc/iiab/uuid register: stored_uuid - name: Store it in Ansible variable 'uuid' set_fact: uuid: "{{ stored_uuid.stdout_lines[0] }}"