Command line

volant playbook [OPTIONS] <PLAYBOOK>...
volant-playbook [OPTIONS] <PLAYBOOK>...
volant --version

volant playbook takes the same options as ansible-playbook, for the ones that exist. volant-playbook is the same program under a name that reads like the one you know. Playbooks given together run in order, and each one prints its own recap.

Where an option has an ansible.cfg key or an environment variable, the entry names it. The option wins over both; Configuration explains the order.

Hosts and connections

-i, --inventoryPATH

The inventory file. Only INI inventories are read, see Inventories. Without one, only the implicit localhost exists.

ansible.cfg

[defaults] inventory

Environment

ANSIBLE_INVENTORY

-l, --limitSUBSET

Run only on hosts matching this pattern. A limit that matches no host warns and narrows the run to what it did match.

-u, --userREMOTE_USER

Log in to hosts as this user. Without it, ssh picks the user, from your ~/.ssh/config or your local account.

ansible.cfg

[defaults] remote_user

Environment

ANSIBLE_REMOTE_USER

--private-keyFILE

The private key ssh authenticates with, passed as ssh -i.

ansible.cfg

[defaults] private_key_file

Environment

ANSIBLE_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE

-T, --timeoutSECONDS

How long to wait for a connection, passed to ssh as ConnectTimeout.

Default

10

ansible.cfg

[defaults] timeout

Environment

ANSIBLE_TIMEOUT

-f, --forksN

How many hosts a play works on at once. Zero or a value that is not a number is rejected before the run starts.

Default

5

ansible.cfg

[defaults] forks

Environment

ANSIBLE_FORKS

Variables and tags

-e, --extra-varsVARS

Extra variables, at the top of the precedence order: key=value pairs, inline JSON or YAML, or @file. Repeatable.

-t, --tagsTAGS

Run only tasks with these tags. Comma-separated and repeatable, and added to the configured default rather than replacing it. See Tags and listings.

ansible.cfg

[tags] run

Environment

ANSIBLE_RUN_TAGS

--skip-tagsTAGS

Skip tasks with these tags. Comma-separated and repeatable, and added to the configured default.

ansible.cfg

[tags] skip

Environment

ANSIBLE_SKIP_TAGS

Look without running

These options read the playbooks and stop. They never connect to a host and never stop on an unsupported module, so they work on playbooks this release cannot run yet.

--list-tasks

List the tasks the run would execute, in Ansible’s format.

--list-tags

List the tags the run would select.

--list-hosts

List the hosts each play would run on, in inventory order.

--syntax-check

Load and compile the playbooks without running anything.

Privilege escalation

-b, --become

Run tasks with privilege escalation. A become keyword in the playbook still decides for its own play, block or task. See Privilege escalation.

Default

false

ansible.cfg

[privilege_escalation] become

Environment

ANSIBLE_BECOME

--become-userUSER

The user to escalate to.

Default

root

ansible.cfg

[privilege_escalation] become_user

Environment

ANSIBLE_BECOME_USER

--become-methodMETHOD

The escalation method. Only sudo is supported for now; other methods stop the run before it starts.

Default

sudo

ansible.cfg

[privilege_escalation] become_method

Environment

ANSIBLE_BECOME_METHOD

-K, --ask-become-pass

Ask for the escalation password on the terminal, with echo turned off. The password is written once to sudo and appears in no command line, log or result.

Run and output

--force-handlers

Run notified handlers even on hosts that failed. A force_handlers keyword on the play takes priority. See Handlers.

Default

false

ansible.cfg

[defaults] force_handlers

Environment

ANSIBLE_FORCE_HANDLERS

-v

Show module results for successful tasks too. Repeatable, like Ansible’s -vvv.

--no-color

Print without colors.

Environment variables

Volant reads the ANSIBLE_* variables named above, plus a few of its own.

VOLANT_PYTHONPATH

The Python interpreter the controller uses to build module payloads. It needs ansible-core. When unset, Volant tries the active virtual environment, then python3 on your PATH.

VOLANT_AGENT_DIRDIR

A directory that holds the agent binaries. It is checked first, before the agents built into the release controller and the directory of the volant executable. Useful with a controller built from source, or to test an agent of your own.

VOLANT_BATCHING1

Turns on cross-host batching.

ansible.cfg

[volant] batching

Not there yet

These ansible-playbook options are not accepted yet:

Option	What to do meanwhile
-C, --check, --diff	Run against a test host.
-k, --ask-pass	Use a key file or an ssh-agent.
--ask-vault-pass, --vault-password-file, --vault-id	Keep vaulted playbooks under Ansible for now.
--start-at-task, --step	Use tags to select part of a play.
-c, --connection	Set ansible_connection in the inventory.