Reproducing Ansible-core 2.19 direct execution bug (ActionBase._parse_returned_data missing profile)

command.yaml

---
- name: Reproduce Ansible-core 2.19 direct-exec error
  hosts: ios
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
    ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
    ansible_become_method: enable
    import_modules: true  # triggers direct execution mode
  tasks:
    - name: Run command module
      cisco.ios.ios_command:
        commands:
          - show run | i hostname
      register: output

error1.log

ansible-playbook [core 2.19.0.dev0] (devel 3b66150cc3) last updated 2025/05/28 15:37:10 (GMT +550)
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/home/username/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /path/to/ansible/lib/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/username/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/username/.virtualenvs/testenv/bin/ansible-playbook
  python version = 3.13.2 (main, Feb  4 2025, 14:51:09) [Clang 16.0.0 (clang-1600.0.26.6)] (/home/username/.virtualenvs/testenv/bin/python)
  jinja version = 3.1.5
  pyyaml version = 6.0.2 (with libyaml v0.2.5)
No config file found; using defaults
setting up inventory plugins
Loading collection ansible.builtin from 
host_list declined parsing /path/to/inventory/ios_inventory as it did not pass its verify_file() method
script declined parsing /path/to/inventory/ios_inventory as it did not pass its verify_file() method
auto declined parsing /path/to/inventory/ios_inventory as it did not pass its verify_file() method
Parsed /path/to/inventory/ios_inventory inventory source with ini plugin
Loading collection cisco.ios from /path/to/collections/cisco/ios
Loading callback plugin default of type stdout, v2.0 from /path/to/ansible/plugins/callback/default.py
Skipping callback 'default', as we already have a stdout callback.
Skipping callback 'minimal', as we already have a stdout callback.
Skipping callback 'oneline', as we already have a stdout callback.

PLAYBOOK: ios_netcommon.yaml ***************************************************
Positional arguments: ios_netcommon.yaml
verbosity: 4
connection: ssh
become_method: sudo
tags: ('all',)
inventory: ('/path/to/inventory/ios_inventory',)
forks: 5
1 plays in ios_netcommon.yaml

PLAY [Reproduce Ansible-core 2.19 direct-exec error] ***************************

TASK [Run command module] ******************************************************
task path: /path/to/ios_netcommon.yaml:11
Loading collection ansible.netcommon from /path/to/collections/ansible/netcommon
Loading collection ansible.utils from /path/to/collections/ansible/utils
<ios_device> Using network group action cisco.ios.ios for cisco.ios.ios_command
<ios_device> attempting to start connection
<ios_device> using connection plugin ansible.netcommon.network_cli
<ios_device> local domain socket does not exist, starting it
<ios_device> control socket path is /home/username/.ansible/pc/99ff65cbe2
<ios_device> Loading collection ansible.builtin from 
<ios_device> Loading collection ansible.netcommon from /path/to/collections/ansible/netcommon
<ios_device> Loading collection ansible.utils from /path/to/collections/ansible/utils
<ios_device> Loading collection cisco.ios from /path/to/collections/cisco/ios
<ios_device> local domain socket listeners started successfully
<ios_device> loaded cliconf plugin ansible_collections.cisco.ios.plugins.cliconf.ios from path /path/to/collections/cisco/ios/plugins/cliconf/ios.py for network_os cisco.ios.ios
<ios_device> ssh type is set to libssh
<ios_device> Loading collection ansible.builtin from 
<ios_device> local domain socket path is /home/username/.ansible/pc/99ff65cbe2
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: enabled
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: found cisco.ios.ios_command  at /path/to/collections/cisco/ios/plugins/modules/ios_command.py
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: running cisco.ios.ios_command
[ERROR]: Task failed: ActionBase._parse_returned_data() missing 1 required positional argument: 'profile'
Origin: /path/to/ios_netcommon.yaml:11:7

 9     import_modules: true  # triggers direct execution mode
10   tasks:
11     - name: Run command module
         ^ column 7

fatal: [ios_device]: FAILED! => {
    "changed": false,
    "msg": "Task failed: ActionBase._parse_returned_data() missing 1 required positional argument: 'profile'"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
ios_device             : ok=0    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=1    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

error2.log

PLAYBOOK: ios_netcommon.yaml ***************************************************************************************
Positional arguments: ios_netcommon.yaml
verbosity: 4
connection: ssh
become_method: sudo
tags: ('all',)
inventory: ('inv/ios_inventory',)
forks: 5
1 plays in ios_netcommon.yaml

PLAY [Reproduce Ansible-core 2.19 direct-exec error] ***************************************************************

TASK [Run command module] ******************************************************************************************
task path: ios_netcommon.yaml:11
Loading collection ansible.netcommon from <path>/ansible_collections/ansible/netcommon
Loading collection ansible.utils from <path>/ansible_collections/ansible/utils
<ios_device> Using network group action cisco.ios.ios for cisco.ios.ios_command
<ios_device> attempting to start connection
<ios_device> using connection plugin ansible.netcommon.network_cli
<ios_device> local domain socket does not exist, starting it
<ios_device> control socket path is <path>/.ansible/pc/<hash>
<ios_device> Loading collection ansible.builtin from 
<ios_device> Loading collection cisco.ios from <path>/ansible_collections/cisco/ios
<ios_device> local domain socket listeners started successfully
<ios_device> loaded cliconf plugin ansible_collections.cisco.ios.plugins.cliconf.ios from path <path>/ansible_collections/cisco/ios/plugins/cliconf/ios.py for network_os cisco.ios.ios
<ios_device> ssh type is set to libssh
<ios_device> local domain socket path is <path>/.ansible/pc/<hash>
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: enabled
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: found cisco.ios.ios_command  at <path>/ansible_collections/cisco/ios/plugins/modules/ios_command.py
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: running cisco.ios.ios_command
<ios_device> ANSIBLE_NETWORK_IMPORT_MODULES: complete
[WARNING]: Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting `deprecation_warnings=False` in ansible.cfg.
[DEPRECATION WARNING]: Passing `warnings` to `exit_json` or `fail_json` is deprecated. This feature will be removed from ansible-core version 2.23. Use `AnsibleModule.warn` instead.
[ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found

Task failed: Action failed.
Origin: ios_netcommon.yaml:11:7

<<< caused by >>>

Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found See stdout/stderr for the returned output.

fatal: [ios_device]: FAILED! => {
    "changed": false,
    "module_stderr": "Unknown profile name 'module_None_m2c'.",
    "module_stdout": "",
    "msg": "Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************************************************
ios_device             : ok=0    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=1    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   

Objective:

To reproduce and isolate two key issues introduced in ansible-core 2.19.x when using direct execution (import_modules: true) with networking modules (e.g., cisco.ios.ios_command).

❗ Error 1: TypeError: _parse_returned_data() missing 1 required positional argument: 'profile'

When does it occur?

• occurs during direct execution mode when Ansible attempts to parse the result from a network module via ActionModule._parse_returned_data().
• its coming from data = self._parse_returned_data(dict_out) # missing 'profile'
  https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.netcommon/blob/main/plugins/action/network.py#L341

❗ Error 2: Module result deserialization failed: No start of json char found

• After patching _parse_returned_data() or attempting workarounds, this error pops up as a side effect, indicating the module output was not valid JSON or deserialization failed.
  https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.netcommon/blob/main/plugins/action/network.py#L283

• This likely stems from the patched AnsibleModule not initializing profile correctly in direct execution mode, or an incompatibility in module output format when bypassing standard AnsibleModule init.