# Custom ssh\_config Not Working As Expected **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** ubuntu\ **Created:** [September 24, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316 "2014-09-24T01:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![James\_Goodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@James\_Goodhouse](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Goodhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316/1 "2014-09-24T01:27:30Z")
I am having some issues with a custom ssh\_config file and not sure if I’m doing something wrong, if it’s an ssh bug, or if it’s an Ansible bug. I currently have a custom ssh\_config file placed next to my ansible.cfg file. In the ansible.cfg file I have the line ssh\_args = -F ssh\_config under the [ssh\_connection] section. Inside of my ssh\_config file is the following: Host bastion HostName xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx User ubuntu Host app01 HostName xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ProxyCommand ssh bastion nc %h %p User ubuntu If I then run the command ssh app01 -F ssh\_config I receive the following error: ssh: Could not resolve hostname bastion: nodename nor servname provided, or not known However, if instead of referencing the ssh\_config file, I instead place the contents into ~/.ssh/config and run the command ssh app01, all is well and it is able to resolve the hostname, bastion. Is there a setting I am missing somewhere or is this potentially a bug in either ssh or Ansible? Thanks for your help and if you need any more info, please ask! - James ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan1)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316/2 "2014-09-24T01:55:50Z")
Could this possibly be because the CWD when executing ansible can’t find your specified ssh\_config ? Maybe try fulling pathing it for starters? ---
**Author:** ![James\_Goodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@James\_Goodhouse](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Goodhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 8:19am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316/3 "2014-09-24T08:19:30Z")
I tried fully pathing it to no avail. It seems to be picking up on the custom ssh\_config because if I change the ProxyCommand from ssh bastion nc %h %p to ssh ubuntu@x.x.x.x nc %h %p then it works fine. It’s almost like it’s not referencing the custom ssh\_config for the ProxyCommand and is defaulting back to looking in the config in ~/.ssh or /etc/ssh. ---
**Author:** ![jorginator74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@jorginator74](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jorginator74)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 8:20am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316/4 "2014-09-24T08:20:27Z")
Hi > I am having some issues with a custom ssh\_config file and not sure if I'm doing > something wrong, if it's an ssh bug, or if it's an Ansible bug. > > I currently have a custom ssh\_config file placed next to my ansible.cfg file. > In the ansible.cfg file I have the line ssh\_args = -F ssh\_config under the > [ssh\_connection] section. Inside of my ssh\_config file is the following: > >   Host bastion >     HostName xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx >     User ubuntu >   Host app01 >     HostName xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx >     ProxyCommand ssh bastion nc %h %p >     User ubuntu > > If I then run the command ssh app01 -F ssh\_config I receive the following > error: > >   ssh: Could not resolve hostname bastion: nodename nor servname provided, or > not known > > However, if instead of referencing the ssh\_config file, I instead place the > contents into ~/.ssh/config and run the command ssh app01, all is well and it > is able to resolve the hostname, bastion. That makes sense. When you run "ssh app01 -F ssh\_config", it will obviously use the given SSH config file.... But in order to connect to app01, it needs to run the ProxyCommand. But this will use the \*default\* ssh config file. Not the one in the current directory... As far as SSH is concerned, the ProxyCommand is simply a shell command - even if it just invokes ssh... ---
**Author:** ![James\_Goodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@James\_Goodhouse](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Goodhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/custom-ssh-config-not-working-as-expected/16316/5 "2014-09-24T19:28:45Z")
Thanks for your reply, Karl! So given that is the case, would there be a way for it to behave the way I’m expecting when using a custom ssh\_config file? On a separate but related note, I’m trying to use a wildcard entry in my ssh\_config for various servers. So for example, my inventory file has the entry app01-stg ansible\_ssh\_host=10.0.11.195 and my ssh\_config file is as follows: Host app\*-stg ProxyCommand ssh ubuntu@_._._._ nc %h %p User ubuntu When I then run the command ansible all -m ping -i inventory/staging.ini -l app01-stg I receive the error app01-stg | FAILED =\> SSH Error: data could not be sent to the remote host. Make sure this host can be reached over ssh. However, all works fine if I remove the ansible\_ssh\_host address from the inventory file and rerun the command with the following ssh\_config file: Host app01-stg HostName 10.0.11.195 ProxyCommand ssh ubuntu@_._._._ nc %h %p User ubuntu Thanks in advance!! - James