# Ansible-vault password file not found

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [March 8, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932 "2018-03-08T10:49:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JiElPe-Fr38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@JiElPe-Fr38](https://forum.ansible.com/u/JiElPe-Fr38)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932/1 "2018-03-08T10:49:16Z")

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Dear all,

I am “auto learning” ansible and currently try to understand how to use vault.  
To summarize things, I have created a vault.yml file in the vars directory, and included it in the main.yml task. Then, I put the vault password within a .vault\_passwd file created at the same level than ansible.cfg.

When I run :

`  
ansible-playbook with --vault-password-file .vault\_passwd

`

`It is ok.`

`So, I tried to put the vault password file path within ansible.cfg as follows :`  
` `  
vault\_password\_file = .vault\_passwd

` `

`  
When running the playbook (without --vault-password-file ), it fails with :  
fatal: [ci-server]: FAILED! =\> {  
“ansible\_facts”: {},  
“ansible\_included\_var\_files”: ,  
“changed”: false,  
“message”: “Attempting to decrypt but no vault secrets found”  
}

`

`at the line were the vault.yml file is imported. So, it looks like if it does not find the vault password file to decrypt the vault file.`

`I can't understand why, and have already tried with the aboslute path, or changing _ with -, just in case documentation had a typo... but without any success.`

`If someone could have an idea to help, I would be glad.`

`Have a nice day!`

`J-L`

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Sobey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Richard\_Sobey](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Richard_Sobey)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932/2 "2018-03-08T11:14:46Z")

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You may want to check with “ansible-playbook -v …” that ansible is picking the correct .cfg file.

Richard

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**Author:** ![JiElPe-Fr38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@JiElPe-Fr38](https://forum.ansible.com/u/JiElPe-Fr38)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932/3 "2018-03-08T13:03:18Z")

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Thanks for the idea…  
In fact, I already used the verbose mode, so yes I can confirm that it uses the awaited config file.  
Which is not a good news, because it would have been a good reason for the problem.

J-L

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**Author:** ![haohao\_qiang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bbe5ce/32.png) [@haohao\_qiang](https://forum.ansible.com/u/haohao_qiang)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932/4 "2020-02-18T11:56:22Z")

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Hello, i have the same issue, did you resolved? How to make it work!

在 2018年3月8日星期四 UTC+8下午9:03:18，JiElPe-Fr38写道：

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**Author:** ![Max3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@Max3](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Max3)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-vault-password-file-not-found/26932/5 "2020-02-19T18:57:24Z")

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Sometimes we have several encryption keys for several projects.  
Take a look at your /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

# find this line

vault\_identity\_list = default@/home/dude/vault\_password, admin@/home/dude/admin\_pass, project@/home/dude/project

If you only have 1 encryption key to work with, then it’s the default, it’d look like /home/dude/file\_containing\_the\_key

/Max