# Ansible 2.1.0, I used --limit to run a playbook and host file hostvars for the host didn't load

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-1-0-i-used-limit-to-run-a-playbook-and-host-file-hostvars-for-the-host-didnt-load/20033>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [December 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-1-0-i-used-limit-to-run-a-playbook-and-host-file-hostvars-for-the-host-didnt-load/20033 "2015-12-16T17:37:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jdelaporte](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/jdelaporte/32/366_2.png) [@jdelaporte](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jdelaporte)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-1-0-i-used-limit-to-run-a-playbook-and-host-file-hostvars-for-the-host-didnt-load/20033/1 "2015-12-16T17:37:45Z")

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Last night, I ran a playbook that had a group specified for hosts. That group has a custom variable defined in my inventory. On the command line I used --limit=jupiter to test on a single host. The defined hostvar was not loaded, apparently, because my machine had patches installed from a 32-bit mounted repo rather than 64-bit. Just a few days ago, I ran this playbook for the whole group with no problems, so the hostvar was correctly read then.

The command-line:  
$ ansible-playbook slack\_lab\_update.yml --limit=jupiter

My hosts defined in the playbook:

- hosts: slackware-lab-64  
sudo: yes

roles:

- slack\_lab

post\_tasks:

- name: Reboot host(s)?

In the /etc/hosts file, I have the group, with a set variable, as follows:

[slackware-lab-64]  
192.168.0.[30:53]  
jupiter  
linux1  
linux2  
linux3

[slackware-lab-64:vars]

lib\_arch=64

Well, I did have this var defined, until last night. I ended up re-installing the machine. Now, I have replaced every lib\_arch custom variable reference in every playbook with ansible\_userspace\_bits, since I figured out that is an option. However, Ansible should probably have read that variable for my one host, since it is a member of the group.

$ ansible --version  
ansible 2.1.0