# Could we read the ansible\_python\_interpreter from an environment variable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Developer\ **Created:** [January 25, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-we-read-the-ansible-python-interpreter-from-an-environment-variable/14422 "2014-01-25T00:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joshua\_Conner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Joshua\_Conner](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Joshua_Conner)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-we-read-the-ansible-python-interpreter-from-an-environment-variable/14422/1 "2014-01-25T00:02:38Z")
You can set the ansible\_python\_interpreter for a host in the inventory file, but it would be nice if I it would read this in from an $ANSIBLE\_PYTHON\_INTERPRETER environment variable. I use homebrew-ed Python on my local machine, and I’d love to just add a line to my dotfiles instead of having to add [local] localhost ansible\_python\_interpreter=/usr/local/bin/python to an inventory file for each playbook. Is there another way I should be doing this? Does anyone else have any thoughts? If it seems like a good idea I’d be happy to try and put something together. Thanks! Josh Conner ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/could-we-read-the-ansible-python-interpreter-from-an-environment-variable/14422/2 "2014-01-25T00:05:05Z")
It wouldn’t make a lot of sense as an environment variable because it’s designed to differ on a server by server basis. You definitely don’t have to have a different inventory for each playbook either, just pass the same inventory in with -i.