# ansible 2.3.0 host alias not working

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-3-0-host-alias-not-working/25301>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [August 21, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-3-0-host-alias-not-working/25301 "2017-08-21T22:09:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ted\_Meller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@Ted\_Meller](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Ted_Meller)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-3-0-host-alias-not-working/25301/1 "2017-08-21T22:09:12Z")

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Im trying to rename my host list file from IP addresses to aliases but for some reason when I run my playbooks i get the below error.

`fatal: [test]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "failed": true, "msg": "unable to open shell. Please see: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/network_debug_troubleshooting.html#unable-to-open-shell", "rc": 255}`

here is a sample of the alias in the host file.

`test ansible_ssh_host=192.168.1.1`

Im using ansible version 2.3.0

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**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-2-3-0-host-alias-not-working/25301/2 "2017-08-22T03:55:21Z")

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Hi

The URL in the error is a documentation page with a specific section about the error you’re seeing, including a suggestion on how to resolve it.

Dick