# Setting user password via ansible module user didn't work as expected **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [June 24, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/setting-user-password-via-ansible-module-user-didnt-work-as-expected/21853 "2016-06-24T07:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jorg\_Kastning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@Jorg\_Kastning](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jorg_Kastning)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/setting-user-password-via-ansible-module-user-didnt-work-as-expected/21853/1 "2016-06-24T07:43:07Z")
Hello, I’m very new to ansible. So, please bare with me if I ask some beginners questions. I try to set a user password using the ansible ad-hoc mode with the [user-module](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/user_module.html). To generate the password has I use the python command mentioned in the [FAQ here](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/faq.html#how-do-i-generate-crypted-passwords-for-the-user-module). Using the python command to generate a password hash produces a hash like this: `$6$rounds=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p...` This is a short version from the complete string. I try to set the password with the following command: ` ansible localhost -m user -a “name=johnd password=‘$6$rounds=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p…’ state=present” ` But when I lookup the has in /etc/shadow it looks like: ` > grep ‘johnd’ /etc/shadow > johnd:=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p:16976:0:99999:7::: ` The following part of the hash string is missing: ` $6$rounds= ` And just now I figured out, that the python command generates a different has every time for the same password: `root@hostname>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512_crypt; import getpass; print sha512_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" Password: $6$rounds=100000$GQDbqHk4Y1bcLF8t$PjC0r5o.B75.buNFvcOhSp2SdB4zRTfVlbrQ2u7aN5W9L5h1UqOaGMHAYtR.QvmcmUF2vLGSfAR30fYwcvvzJ. [2016.06.24 09:35:18] ~ root@hostname>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512_crypt; import getpass; print sha512_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" Password: $6$rounds=100000$t57obQLCBDhu.0Hx$ffsDGXXLuAjCnl5Mv7wLoZuzcJqkw.wJ0NQn1/K9bP9hu4dH4gZmZQ0GXb.7lsBSmAOSeo26IJqNlGq90MALP0 [2016.06.24 09:35:27] ~ root@hostname>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512_crypt; import getpass; print sha512_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" Password: $6$rounds=100000$yLMPFyCM2ZmftBaX$QP3uBV7WHUjrD2G0xO7VXIdILivE0Y1pgbLrlgRBicD3e7dRNSx1cCF1FEeOLzPLK.AuuSGVQESwpixlWj8o01 [2016.06.24 09:35:35] ~` Unfortunately there is no ` ` ```auto mkpasswd --method=SHA-512 ``` ` ` available on my red hat system. Could you explain how I could generate a password hash to use with the ansible user module, please? Kind regards, Joerg K. ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/setting-user-password-via-ansible-module-user-didnt-work-as-expected/21853/2 "2016-06-24T15:41:10Z")
> This is a short version from the complete string. I try to set the password > with the following command: > ansible localhost -m user -a "name=johnd > password='$6$rounds=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p...' state=present" > > But when I lookup the has in /etc/shadow it looks like: > > > grep 'johnd' /etc/shadow > > johnd:=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p:16976:0:99999:7::: This is because shell expansion, the shell expand $6 and $rounds since it sees them as variables. Swap your quotes and it should work. ansible localhost -m user -a 'name=johnd password="$6$rounds=100000$nu.kkTNOWqlbz.6T$JtYE/77zl9p..." state=present' > And just now I figured out, that the python command generates a different > has every time for the same password: > root@hostname\>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512\_crypt; import > getpass; print sha512\_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" > Password: > $6$rounds=100000$GQDbqHk4Y1bcLF8t$PjC0r5o.B75. > buNFvcOhSp2SdB4zRTfVlbrQ2u7aN5W9L5h1UqOaGMHAYtR.QvmcmUF2vLGSfAR30fYwcvvzJ. > [2016.06.24 09:35:18] ~ > root@hostname\>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512\_crypt; import > getpass; print sha512\_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" > Password: > $6$rounds=100000$t57obQLCBDhu.0Hx$ffsDGXXLuAjCnl5Mv7wLoZuzcJqkw.wJ0NQn1/ > K9bP9hu4dH4gZmZQ0GXb.7lsBSmAOSeo26IJqNlGq90MALP0 > [2016.06.24 09:35:27] ~ > root@hostname\>python -c "from passlib.hash import sha512\_crypt; import > getpass; print sha512\_crypt.encrypt(getpass.getpass())" > Password: > $6$rounds=100000 > $yLMPFyCM2ZmftBaX$QP3uBV7WHUjrD2G0xO7VXIdILivE0Y1pgbLrlgRBicD3e7dRNSx1cCF1FEeOLzPLK > .AuuSGVQESwpixlWj8o01 Since you have not specified the salt in sha512\_crypt.encrypt it makes a random one. This is the reason the hashes is different with the same password. The output format is $id$rounds$salt$hashed ---
**Author:** ![Jorg\_Kastning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@Jorg\_Kastning](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jorg_Kastning)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/setting-user-password-via-ansible-module-user-didnt-work-as-expected/21853/3 "2016-07-12T08:07:38Z")
Hi, Sorry for my late reply. You are right. Changing the quotes solved my problem. Thanks a lot, Joerg