Hey there! I get it—yum sticking to an older pexpect version can be frustrating when you need 3.3+ for Ansible's ansible.builtin.expect module. Let's walk through a couple of solid ways to get the right version installed on your Python 2.7.5 system.

Method 1: Use pip (Simplest & Recommended) #

Since yum's repo doesn't have the newer pexpect version, pip is your best bet for pulling in updated PyPI packages.

Step 1: Install pip for Python 2.7 #

First, make sure you have pip installed (it might not be on your system by default):

- name: Install pip for Python 2.7
  yum:
    name: python-pip
    state: latest

Step 2: Install pexpect 3.3 via pip #

Use Ansible's pip module to install the exact minimum required version, or a newer compatible one—versions up to 4.8 still support Python 2.7:

- name: Install pexpect 3.3 (minimum required for expect module)
  pip:
    name: pexpect==3.3
    state: present

Verify the Installation #

After installation, confirm you have the right version:

- name: Check pexpect version
  command: python -c "import pexpect; print(pexpect.__version__)"
  register: pexpect_version

- debug:
    msg: "Installed pexpect version: {{ pexpect_version.stdout }}"

Method 2: Install from Source (If pip Isn't an Option) #

If for some reason pip isn't available or working, you can install directly from the source code:

Step 1: Install Dependencies #

First, grab the Python development headers (required for compiling some packages):

- name: Install Python development tools
  yum:
    name: python-devel
    state: present

Step 2: Download & Extract the Source #

Fetch the pexpect 3.3 source tarball and unpack it:

- name: Download pexpect 3.3 source archive
  get_url:
    url: https://pypi.io/packages/source/p/pexpect/pexpect-3.3.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/pexpect-3.3.tar.gz

- name: Extract pexpect source files
  unarchive:
    src: /tmp/pexpect-3.3.tar.gz
    dest: /tmp/
    remote_src: yes

Step 3: Install from Source #

Run the setup script to install the package:

- name: Install pexpect from source
  command: python /tmp/pexpect-3.3/setup.py install

Quick Note on Yum's Older Version #

The reason yum only provides pexpect 2.3 is tied to your Linux distribution's stable release cycle. Older distros (like CentOS 7, which uses Python 2.7.5 by default) ship with older package versions to maintain system stability. That's why you need to use pip or source installs to get newer, compatible versions.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者RobinBa