# Unable to parse /etc/ansible/hosts as an inventory source **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** kubernetes\ **Created:** [June 21, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844 "2018-06-21T20:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rob\_Christian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Rob\_Christian](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Rob_Christian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/1 "2018-06-21T20:13:09Z")
How can I have my Ansible project use only the local `/inventories` directory? I am getting this output and I get the impression that Ansible is not finding my inventories. ` **[WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/hosts 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: kube-master** ` I’m new to Ansible and I’m confused that Ansible looks outside the project directory by default. I see that other people who have reported this issue also installed with Homebrew, as I have, but I don’t yet see a clear solution. The Ansible project was cloned from here: [https://github.com/sebiwi/kubernetes-coreos](https://github.com/sebiwi/kubernetes-coreos) ---
**Author:** ![Rob\_Christian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Rob\_Christian](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Rob_Christian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/2 "2018-06-21T20:34:54Z")
Ah ha, looks like the command needs to begin with `ansible -i inventories/vagrant.ini` for this project. Other examples I was following use simply `-i inventory`, so it wasn’t clear to me that I need to reference this vagrant.ini file. I don’t understand why this project is setup this way. I would expect Ansible to default first any local inventory file, but today is the first day I’m using Ansible. I’m trying to follow the project author’s guide but I think he assumes readers are already familiar with Ansible. [https://blog.octo.com/en/how-does-it-work-kubernetes-episode-5-master-and-worker-at-last/#comment-632228](https://blog.octo.com/en/how-does-it-work-kubernetes-episode-5-master-and-worker-at-last/#comment-632228) ---
**Author:** ![mhalano](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mhalano/32/1815_2.png) [@mhalano](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mhalano)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/3 "2018-06-21T20:36:24Z")
You could define the option “inventory” inside ansible.cfg. You can define a file or a directory. ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/4 "2018-06-21T20:42:40Z")
By default ansible ignores files with a .ini extension when using an inventory directory. This is due to many dynamic inventory scripts using a .ini extension for their configuration files. This blacklist is defined by [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference\_appendices/config.html#inventory-ignore-exts](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html#inventory-ignore-exts) So when using `-i inventories/` that `vagrant.ini` is ignored, as opposed to explicitly listing that `vagrant.ini` as your inventory source. Simply removing the `.ini` extension would allow the directory version to work. ---
**Author:** ![stifan\_kristi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@stifan\_kristi](https://forum.ansible.com/u/stifan_kristi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/5 "2018-06-22T00:04:49Z")
is file /etc/ansible/hosts exist? perhaps you should create it first e.g. `sudo mkdir /etc/ansible/ sudo touch /etc/ansible/hosts sudo chmod 777 /etc/ansible/hosts sudo echo "localhost ansible_connection=local" >> /etc/ansible/hosts` best regards, stifan ---
**Author:** ![bng.zero1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@bng.zero1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/bng.zero1)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/6 "2019-01-20T17:56:23Z")
also make sure that you are in the root directory while doing mkdir ---
**Author:** ![cassell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@cassell](https://forum.ansible.com/u/cassell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/unable-to-parse-etc-ansible-hosts-as-an-inventory-source/27844/7 "2019-01-20T18:32:20Z")
> also make sure that you are in the root directory while doing mkdir > > \> > \> is file /etc/ansible/hosts exist? perhaps you should create it first > \> e.g. > \> sudo mkdir /etc/ansible/ > \> sudo touch /etc/ansible/hosts > \> sudo chmod 777 /etc/ansible/hosts Pretty sure that making the inventory executable will cause ansible to try to run it as a script then use the output as inventory. V/r, James Cassell