# how use aws profile when using ansible ec2.py module **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** aws\ **Created:** [January 27, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-use-aws-profile-when-using-ansible-ec2-py-module/23577 "2017-01-27T15:24:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronak\_Patel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Ronak\_Patel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Ronak_Patel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-use-aws-profile-when-using-ansible-ec2-py-module/23577/1 "2017-01-27T15:24:37Z")
I wrote a quick ansible playbook to launch a simple ec2 instance but I think I have an issue on how I want to authenticate. What I don’t want to do is set my aws access/secret keys as env variables since they expire each hour and I need to regenerate the `~/.aws/credentials` file via a script. Right now, my ansible playbook looks like this: — # Launch ec2 - name: Create ec2 instance hosts: local connection: local gather\_facts: false vars: profile: profile\_xxxx key\_pair: usrxxx region: us-east-1 subnet: subnet-38xxxxx security\_groups: [‘sg-e54xxxx’, ‘sg-bfcxxxx’, ‘sg-a9dxxx’] image: ami-031xxx instance\_type: t2.small num\_instances: 1 tag\_name: ansibletest hdd\_volumes: - device\_name: /dev/sdf volume\_size: 50 delete\_on\_termination: true - device\_name: /dev/sdh volume\_size: 50 delete\_on\_termination: true tasks: - name: launch ec2 ec2: count: 1 key\_name: “{{ key\_pair }}” profile: “{{ profile }}” group\_id: “{{ security\_groups }}” instance\_type: “{{ instance\_type }}” image: “{{ image }}” region: “{{ region }}” vpc\_subnet\_id: “{{ subnet }}” assign\_public\_ip: false volumes: “{{ hdd\_volumes }}” instance\_tags: Name: “{{ tag\_name }}” ASV: “{{ tag\_asv }}” CMDBEnvironment: “{{ tag\_cmdbEnv }}” EID: “{{ tag\_eid }}” OwnerContact: “{{ tag\_eid }}” register: ec2 - name: print ec2 vars debug: var=ec my hosts file is this: [local] localhost ansible\_python\_interpreter=/usr/local/bin/python2.7 I run my playbook like this: ansible-playbook -i hosts launchec2.yml -vvv and then get this back: PLAYBOOK: launchec2.yml \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* 1 plays in launchec2.yml PLAY [Create ec2 instance] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* TASK [launch ec2] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* task path: /Users/usrxxx/Desktop/cloud-jumper/Ansible/launchec2.yml:27 Using module file /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible/modules/core/cloud/amazon/ec2.py ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: usrxxx EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘( umask 77 && mkdir -p “`echo ~/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730`” && echo ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730=“`echo ~/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730`” ) && sleep 0’ PUT /var/folders/cx/\_fdv7nkn6dz21798p\_bn9dp9ln9sqc/T/tmpnk2rh5 TO /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/ec2.py PUT /var/folders/cx/\_fdv7nkn6dz21798p\_bn9dp9ln9sqc/T/tmpEpwenH TO /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/args EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘chmod u+x /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/ /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/ec2.py /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/args && sleep 0’ EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘/usr/bin/env python /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/ec2.py /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/args; rm -rf “/Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/” \> /dev/null 2\>&1 && sleep 0’ fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> { “changed”: false, “failed”: true, “invocation”: { “module\_name”: “ec2” }, “module\_stderr”: “usage: ec2.py [-h] [–list] [–host HOST] [–refresh-cache]\n [–profile BOTO\_PROFILE]\nec2.py: error: unrecognized arguments: /Users/usrxxx/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1485527483.82-106272618422730/args\n”, “module\_stdout”: “”, “msg”: “MODULE FAILURE” } to retry, use: --limit @/Users/usrxxx/Desktop/cloud-jumper/Ansible/launchec2.retry PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* localhost : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 I noticed in the `ec2.py` file it says this: NOTE: This script assumes Ansible is being executed where the environment variables needed for Boto have already been set: export AWS\_ACCESS\_KEY\_ID=‘AK123’ export AWS\_SECRET\_ACCESS\_KEY=‘abc123’ This script also assumes there is an ec2.ini file alongside it. To specify a different path to ec2.ini, define the EC2\_INI\_PATH environment variable: export EC2\_INI\_PATH=/path/to/my\_ec2.ini If you’re using eucalyptus you need to set the above variables and you need to define: export EC2\_URL=http://hostname\_of\_your\_cc:port/services/Eucalyptus If you’re using boto profiles (requires boto\>=2.24.0) you can choose a profile using the --boto-profile command line argument (e.g. ec2.py --boto-profile prod) or using the AWS\_PROFILE variable: AWS\_PROFILE=prod ansible-playbook -i ec2.py myplaybook.yml so I ran it like this: AWS\_PROFILE=profile\_xxxx ansible-playbook -i hosts launchec2.yml -vvv but still got the same results…