Fix environment setting and inheritence

Fixes #11401

lib/ansible/playbook/base.py

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Base:
 
     # vars and flags
     _vars                = FieldAttribute(isa='dict', default=dict())
-    _environment         = FieldAttribute(isa='dict', default=dict())
+    _environment         = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=[])
     _no_log              = FieldAttribute(isa='bool', default=False)
 
     def __init__(self):

lib/ansible/playbook/block.py

@@ -301,6 +301,18 @@ class Block(Base, Become, Conditional, Taggable):
 
         return value
 
+    def _get_attr_environment(self):
+        '''
+        Override for the 'tags' getattr fetcher, used from Base.
+        '''
+        environment = self._attributes['tags']
+        if environment is None:
+            environment = dict()
+
+        environment = self._get_parent_attribute('environment', extend=True)
+
+        return environment
+
     def filter_tagged_tasks(self, play_context, all_vars):
         '''
         Creates a new block, with task lists filtered based on the tags contained

lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py

@@ -217,7 +217,6 @@ class PlayContext(Base):
 
         # non connection related
         self.no_log      = play.no_log
-        self.environment = play.environment
 
         if play.force_handlers is not None:
             self.force_handlers = play.force_handlers
@@ -299,7 +298,7 @@ class PlayContext(Base):
 
         # loop through a subset of attributes on the task object and set
         # connection fields based on their values
-        for attr in ('connection', 'remote_user', 'become', 'become_user', 'become_pass', 'become_method', 'environment', 'no_log'):
+        for attr in ('connection', 'remote_user', 'become', 'become_user', 'become_pass', 'become_method', 'no_log'):
             if hasattr(task, attr):
                 attr_val = getattr(task, attr)
                 if attr_val is not None:

lib/ansible/playbook/task.py

@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ from ansible.playbook.block import Block
 from ansible.playbook.conditional import Conditional
 from ansible.playbook.role import Role
 from ansible.playbook.taggable import Taggable
-from ansible.utils.vars import combine_vars
 
 __all__ = ['Task']
 
@@ -293,25 +292,21 @@ class Task(Base, Conditional, Taggable, Become):
         if self._task_include:
             self._task_include.set_loader(loader)
 
-    def _get_parent_attribute(self, attr, extend=False, combine=False):
+    def _get_parent_attribute(self, attr, extend=False):
         '''
         Generic logic to get the attribute or parent attribute for a task value.
         '''
         value = self._attributes[attr]
-        if self._block and (value is None or extend or combine):
+        if self._block and (value is None or extend):
             parent_value = getattr(self._block, attr)
             if extend:
                 value = self._extend_value(value, parent_value)
-            elif combine and isinstance(parent_value, dict) and isinstance(value, dict):
-                value = combine_vars(parent_value, value)
             else:
                 value = parent_value
-        if self._task_include and (value is None or extend or combine):
+        if self._task_include and (value is None or extend):
             parent_value = getattr(self._task_include, attr)
             if extend:
                 value = self._extend_value(value, parent_value)
-            elif combine:
-                value = combine_vars(parent_value, value)
             else:
                 value = parent_value
         return value
@@ -324,7 +319,7 @@ class Task(Base, Conditional, Taggable, Become):
         if environment is None:
             environment = dict()
 
-        environment = self._get_parent_attribute('environment', combine=True)
+        environment = self._get_parent_attribute('environment', extend=True)
 
         return environment
 

lib/ansible/plugins/action/__init__.py

@@ -81,11 +81,20 @@ class ActionBase:
         Builds the environment string to be used when executing the remote task.
         '''
 
-        if self._task.environment:
-            if type(self._task.environment) != dict:
-                raise errors.AnsibleError("environment must be a dictionary, received %s" % self._task.environment)
+        final_environment = dict()
+        if self._task.environment is not None:
+            environments = self._task.environment
+            if not isinstance(environments, list):
+                environments = [ environments ]
 
-        return self._connection._shell.env_prefix(**self._task.environment)
+            for environment in environments:
+                if type(environment) != dict:
+                    raise errors.AnsibleError("environment must be a dictionary, received %s" % environment)
+                # very deliberatly using update here instead of combine_vars, as
+                # these environment settings should not need to merge sub-dicts
+                final_environment.update(environment)
+
+        return self._connection._shell.env_prefix(**final_environment)
 
     def _early_needs_tmp_path(self):
         '''