# Could not load 'debug' callback plugin

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Created:** [July 31, 2026, 7:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108 "2026-07-31T07:55:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![roelvandepaar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@roelvandepaar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/roelvandepaar)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 7:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108/1 "2026-07-31T07:55:00Z")

</div>

Hello,

I upgraded to `ansible-core` 2.21.2 and tried to execute a simple playbook.

The following error message came up:

```auto
[ERROR]: Could not load 'debug' callback plugin.

```

I have this line in `/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg`:

```auto
stdout_callback=debug

```

Was the `debug` callback plugin removed in recent versions?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 8:10am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108/2 "2026-07-31T08:10:35Z")

</div>

Did you use `debug` or `ansible.posix.debug`?  
What do you get for something basic, like

```sh
utoddl@tango:~$ ANSIBLE_LOAD_CALLBACK_PLUGINS=1 \
> ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK=ansible.posix.debug \
> ansible localhost -m ansible.builtin.debug -a 'var=group_names'

PLAY [Ansible Ad-Hoc] ***********************************

TASK [ansible.builtin.debug] ****************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "group_names": []
}

PLAY RECAP **********************************************
localhost : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![roelvandepaar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@roelvandepaar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/roelvandepaar)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108/3 "2026-07-31T08:52:53Z")

</div>

Hi @utoddl

Thanks. I did not know that `debug` was part of `ansible.posix`.

I had to install the collection:

```auto
ansible-galaxy collection install ansible.posix

```

Now it works again.  
I think it was installed before as part of the `ansible` package and now I am only using `ansible-core` which means I need to install all collections manually.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 8:53am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-not-load-debug-callback-plugin/46108/4 "2026-08-30T08:53:31Z")

</div>

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