# telnet issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [April 13, 2020, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668 "2020-04-13T07:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/1 "2020-04-13T07:07:25Z")
Hi Experts, I am just new with this one. I am trying to connect using telnet (ssh has no issue) to my IOS devices, but I am getting error when I run my playbook: ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 7:09am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/2 "2020-04-13T07:09:58Z")
I am getting this when I do -vvv ansible-playbook 2.8.5 config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg configured module search path = [u’/root/.ansible/plugins/modules’, u’/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules’] ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ansible executable location = /usr/bin/ansible-playbook python version = 2.7.5 (default, Aug 7 2019, 00:51:29) [GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-39)] Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file host\_list declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user script declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method auto declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user yaml declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user ini declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user toml declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method [WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as an inventory source [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match ‘all’ ---
**Author:** ![Karl\_Auer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Karl\_Auer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Karl_Auer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 7:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/3 "2020-04-13T07:23:10Z")
Can you connect to your IOS devices normally, i.e. outside Ansible? If yes, then I have no idea what’s going on, but if not, get that working first before you try doing it with Ansible. Off the cuff theory is that the devices do not permit telnet connections… Regards, K. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 7:51am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/4 "2020-04-13T07:51:28Z")
Hi Karl, yes, I can connect to the device from my ansible server using telnet. I can also connect to the device using my putty (outside of ansible) using telnet. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/5 "2020-04-13T07:58:39Z")
I am getting this error: FAILED! =\> {“changed”: true, “msg”: “Telnet action failed: telnet connection closed”, “output”: } ---
**Author:** ![Karl\_Auer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Karl\_Auer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Karl_Auer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 8:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/6 "2020-04-13T08:05:26Z")
Unless you have some specific reason for wanting to use telnet, the obvious workaround is to use ssh instead… Regards, K. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 8:14am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/7 "2020-04-13T08:14:38Z")
Hi Karl, Unfortunately, those devices that we have are old and uses telnet 🙂 But other devices which are SSH enabled are being automated by ansible ---
**Author:** ![Srinivas\_Naram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Srinivas\_Naram](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Srinivas_Naram)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 8:26am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/8 "2020-04-13T08:26:51Z")
Some time back just to test telnet module, I tried telnet for devices which had ssh as well as telnet access. However I was not successful and gave up. If you get this working, kindly reply with the solution. Thanks Srinivas. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 8:37am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/9 "2020-04-13T08:37:13Z")
Hi Srinivas, Sure! I will update you. This is just weird, I tried it on GNS3 and it is working. but on the prod itself, it is not. playbook is just straight forward: ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/10 "2020-04-13T14:28:59Z")
Gettign this logs: host\_list declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_Telnet as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user ---
**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:** [April 16, 2020, 6:32am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/11 "2020-04-16T06:32:23Z")
This looks like a playbook just copied from documentation. [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/telnet\_module.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/telnet_module.html) Your task is missing host: default is the variable remote\_addr according to the documentation. So you need to provide host: or sett the correct variable. You also need to tailor the prompt for you environment, it should be a list of all prompt, you only have one prompt that is literally checking for [\>|#] I doubt you prompt looks like that. If you can't figure this out yourself you need to provide the complete output of telnet including telnet itself and the exit of the telnet. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/12 "2020-04-16T14:37:08Z")
Hi Kai, Thank you very much for replaying on my issue. I know that it should be straight forward, and I just copy it on the module I am still getting the failure message even though I changed the hosts to [Cisco\_Telnet] 10.197.48.240 Tasks: - name: Telnet do show version for IOS hosts: 10.197.48.240 gather\_facts: false connection: local tasks: - name: show version telnet: user: ansible password: Inf1n1TY login\_prompt: “Username:” prompts: - “[#]” command: - terminal length 0 - show version Here is the error: PLAY [Telnet do show version for IOS] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* TASK [show version] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [10.197.48.240]: FAILED! =\> {“changed”: true, “msg”: “Telnet action failed: telnet connection closed”, “output”: } Here is when i do the -vvv: Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file host\_list declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method Skipping due to inventory source not existing or not being readable by the current user script declined parsing /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_IOS as it did not pass it’s verify\_file() method ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/13 "2020-04-21T05:04:24Z")
for telnet use 5 v's (-vvvvv) , 3 won't show anything about the task. ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:45am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/14 "2020-04-23T03:45:30Z")
HI Brian, Thank you for the reply. I did the 5v’s as you mentioned, and dont know why it is saying that the hosts does not match. TEMPLATES]# cp IOS\_telnet.yaml /etc/ansible/ [root@spm6637 TEMPLATES]# ansible-playbook -i Cisco\_Telnet IOS\_telnet.yaml [WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_Telnet as an inventory source [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match ‘all’ [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: Cisco\_Telnet PLAY [Telnet do show version for IOS] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* skipping: no hosts matched PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* I tried pinging it, and it was successful. TEMPLATES]# ansible Cisco\_Telnet -m ping d2c2e-be-ag249-o | SUCCESS =\> { “changed”: false, “ping”: “pong” TEMPLATES]# ansible --list-host Cisco\_Telnet hosts (1): d2c2e-be-ag249-o ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/15 "2020-04-23T03:50:48Z")
I can also see my inventory: TEMPLATES]# ansible all --list-hosts hosts (1): d2c2e-be-ag249-o ---
**Author:** ![Zaldy\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ec9cab/32.png) [@Zaldy\_B](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Zaldy_B)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/16 "2020-04-23T03:52:24Z")
Here is my cfg file: ansible]# cat ansible.cfg [defaults] # Use local hosts file inventory = /etc/ansible/hosts # Disable SSH key host checking (RSA fingerprints) host\_key\_checking = False # Do not create .retry files on job failures retry\_files\_enabled = False # Do not gather facts gathering = explicit #python Interpreter for Ansible 2.8 onwards interpreter\_python = /usr/bin/python3 ---
**Author:** ![Werner\_Flamme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@Werner\_Flamme](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Werner_Flamme)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/telnet-issue/32668/17 "2020-04-23T05:05:55Z")
> HI Brian, > > Thank you for the reply. > > I did the 5v's as you mentioned, and dont know why it is saying that the > hosts does not match. > > TEMPLATES]# cp IOS\_telnet.yaml /etc/ansible/ > [root@spm6637 TEMPLATES]# ansible-playbook -i Cisco\_Telnet IOS\_telnet.yaml Zaldy, -i is not to be followed by a hostname the playbook will be excuted on, but by an inventory list (either a file name or a host list). You have to specify the hosts file here, at least that is what the first WARNING is about > [WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/TEMPLATES/Cisco\_Telnet as an > inventory source The rest is a follow-up error: since the mentioned inventory list has not been found, there is no 'all' host group and no host other than 'localhost' at all. > [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available > [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note > that the implicit localhost does not match 'all' > [WARNING]: Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: Cisco\_Telnet My proposal: you should skip the "-i Cisco\_Telnet" part of the commandline and instead put the hostname inside the playbook.