Tests for: https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-core/issues/778

test/integration/roles/test_file/tasks/main.yml

@@ -477,3 +477,88 @@
   assert:
     that:
     - result.stat.mode == '0644'
+
+- name: attempt to modify the permissions of the link itself
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_link src="./test_follow" state=link mode=0600 follow=no
+  register: result
+
+# Whether the link itself changed is platform dependent! (BSD vs Linux?)
+# Just check that the underlying file was not changed
+- name: stat the link target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow
+  register: result
+
+- name: assert that the link target was unmodified
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - result.stat.mode == '0644'
+  ignore_errors: True
+
+# Follow + recursive tests
+- name: create a toplevel directory
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec state=directory mode=0755
+
+- name: create a file outside of the toplevel
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_file state=touch mode=0700
+
+- name: create a directory outside of the toplevel
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir state=directory mode=0700
+
+- name: create a file inside of the link target directory
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir/foo state=touch mode=0700
+
+- name: create a symlink to the file
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec/test_link state=link src="../test_follow_rec_target_file"
+
+- name: create a symlink to the directory
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec/test_link_dir state=link src="../test_follow_rec_target_dir"
+
+- name: try to change permissions without following symlinks
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec follow=False mode="a-x" recurse=True
+
+- name: stat the link file target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_file
+  register: file_result
+
+- name: stat the link dir target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir
+  register: dir_result
+
+- name: stat the file inside the link dir target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir/foo
+  register: file_in_dir_result
+
+- debug: var=file_result.stat.mode
+- debug: var=dir_result.stat.mode
+- debug: var=file_in_dir_result.stat.mode
+- name: assert that the link targets were unmodified
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - file_result.stat.mode == '0700'
+    - dir_result.stat.mode == '0700'
+    - file_in_dir_result.stat.mode == '0700'
+
+- name: try to change permissions with following symlinks
+  file: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec follow=True mode="a-x" recurse=True
+
+- name: stat the link file target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_file
+  register: file_result
+
+- name: stat the link dir target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir
+  register: dir_result
+
+- name: stat the file inside the link dir target
+  stat: path={{output_dir}}/test_follow_rec_target_dir/foo
+  register: file_in_dir_result
+
+- debug: var=file_result.stat.mode
+- debug: var=dir_result.stat.mode
+- debug: var=file_in_dir_result.stat.mode
+- name: assert that the link targets were modified
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - file_result.stat.mode == '0600'
+    - dir_result.stat.mode == '0600'
+    - file_in_dir_result.stat.mode == '0600'