# fetch module - hostname instead of ip in the filesystem tree? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [October 21, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575 "2014-10-21T20:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Michael\_Warkentin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Michael\_Warkentin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_Warkentin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575/1 "2014-10-21T20:27:30Z")
Hello, I was wondering if there’s any way to use the hostname of a server rather than it’s IP to generate the file system tree when using the fetch module? Our ansible inventories are set up like so: aqua-notif-wrkr-01 ansible\_ssh\_host=12.34.56.789 This ends up generating a tree like this: [https://s3.amazonaws.com/snaps.michaelwarkentin.com/generate\_server\_list.py\_\_waveapps\_2014-10-21\_16-17-17.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/snaps.michaelwarkentin.com/generate_server_list.py__waveapps_2014-10-21_16-17-17.png) Would setting up /etc/hosts to map hostnames to IPs work, or are we stuck with this? ---
**Author:** ![James\_Cammarata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7c8e57/32.png) [@James\_Cammarata](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Cammarata)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575/2 "2014-10-23T15:52:04Z")
Hi Michael, One way you can get around this is to use the inventory\_hostname variable in the dest= along with flat=yes, as follows: - hosts: all gather\_facts: no tasks: - fetch: src=/etc/hosts dest=“/tmp/{{inventory\_hostname}}/” flat=yes As long as the inventory\_hostname is actually a hostname and not an IP, this should do what you need. Beyond that, you can open a feature request PR on ansible-modules-core to allow using the inventory hostname instead of the connection address, when available. Hope that helps! ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Warkentin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Michael\_Warkentin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_Warkentin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575/3 "2014-10-24T13:19:11Z")
Thanks James, I’ll give that a try! Sorry about the double-post as well - I didn’t realize that the forum was moderated, so I thought there was a glitch when I submitted my first message. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575/4 "2014-10-24T13:42:46Z")
“if there’s any way to use the hostname of a server rather than it’s IP to generate the file system tree when using the fetch module?” Yeah, It should use the inventory name anyway. I’d file a bug on this one at [github.com/ansible/ansible](http://github.com/ansible/ansible) – it’s a small bug, and the workaround above will do, but it shouldn’t be using conn.host as the host path, but rather “inventory\_hostname”. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Warkentin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Michael\_Warkentin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_Warkentin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fetch-module-hostname-instead-of-ip-in-the-filesystem-tree/16575/5 "2014-10-24T15:20:17Z")
Hey Michael, thanks for the reply. I’ve opened [ansible#9415](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/9415) to track this.