# unable to find syntax error in simple playbook.

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-find-syntax-error-in-simple-playbook/15671>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [July 15, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-find-syntax-error-in-simple-playbook/15671 "2014-07-15T04:05:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dave\_Thacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Dave\_Thacker](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dave_Thacker)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-find-syntax-error-in-simple-playbook/15671/1 "2014-07-15T04:05:08Z")

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Ansible 1.6.2 on Oracle Linux 6.5. This is my first playbook.

Version 1

ansible@devansible01 playbooks]$ cat nfs\_mounts.yml

---

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**Author:** ![sascha.lucas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sascha.lucas](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sascha.lucas)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:54am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-find-syntax-error-in-simple-playbook/15671/2 "2014-07-16T06:54:20Z")

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Hi,

> ansible@devansible01 playbooks]$ cat nfs\_mounts.yml  
> ---  
> - hosts: all  
> tasks:  
> - name: create directory for use in NFS mount  
> file: path=/sa group=root owner=root mode=755 state=directory

I guess there is a missing indentation after tasks. The error message says it treats file as a parameter of a play and not of a task:

---

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**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:** [July 16, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-find-syntax-error-in-simple-playbook/15671/3 "2014-07-16T23:48:19Z")

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You have an indentation issue with content below tasks.