Ansible: Failed to connect to the host via ssh

This guide will show you how to fix issue on Ansible for hosts file inventory failed to connect to the host via ssh.

Basic inventory for Ansible hosts file:

[all:vars]
ansible_connection=ssh
[dev]
dev_host ansible_host=remote_host ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_private_key_file=/var/jenkins_home/ansible/remote-key

To run a test connection for your basic inventory for Ansible, type command:

ansible -i hosts -m ping dev_host

Then if ever you will get this message error: Failed to connect to the host via ssh:

dev_host | UNREACHABLE! => {
"changed": false,
"msg": "Failed to connect to the host via ssh: Control socket connect(/var/jenkins_home/.ansible/cp/fec9c58b80): Connection refused\r\nFailed to connect to new control master",
"unreachable": true
}

Apply this solution:

Change the permission of your remote-key file using:

chmod 600 remote-key

Go to /var/jenkins_homefolder and make a new file .ansible.cfg

And paste this entry:

[ssh_connection]
ssh_args = -C -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s
control_path = /dev/shm/cp%%h-%%p-%%r

Then run test connection again:

ansible -i hosts -m ping dev_host

Output:

dev_host | SUCCESS => {
"ansible_facts": {
"discovered_interpreter_python": "/usr/bin/python3"
},
"changed": false,
"ping": "pong"
}

That’s all.

Reference: Github Issue

Also: Learn how to SSH without using password on Linux Ubuntu

I hope this tutorial helped you and feel free to comment section below for more suggestions.

Tags: ansible, aws, docker, ec2, jenkins, ssh