1. Managed Windows Machine

Ansible 2.8 has added an experimental option to use the SSH connection plugin to manage Windows hosts. To use SSH as the connection to a Windows host, set the following variables in the inventory.

ansible_connection=ssh

# Set either cmd or powershell not both.
ansible_shell_type=cmd
# ansible_shell_type=powershell

The value for ansible_shell_type should either be cmd or powershell. Use cmd if the DefaultShell has not been configured on the SSH service and powershell if that has been set as the DefaultShell.

2. Debian Controller Machine

2.1. Installation

2.2. Configuration

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line.

    sudo cp -a /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg.org
sudo cp -a /etc/ansible/hosts /etc/ansible/hosts.org
scp -p smru@10.10.1.2:/media/Windows/Software/_Delta/id_rsa-auto .
chmod 600 id_rsa-auto
diff /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg.org /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
    71c71
< #host_key_checking = False
---
> host_key_checking = False
136c136
< #private_key_file = /path/to/file
---
> private_key_file = /home/delta/id_rsa-auto

  • Append the following line sto the /etc/ansible/hosts file.

    [linux]
#tbhf-tst-mrm
10.10.1.8

[linux:vars]
ansible_user=root
ansible_password=<level 1 password>

[windows]
#TBHFWS-IT01
#TBHFWS-IT02
#SMRUWS-IT11
10.10.1.108
10.10.1.77
10.10.1.116

[windows:vars]
ansible_connection=ssh
ansible_shell_type=cmd
ansible_user=Administrator
#ansible_password=********
#remote_tmp = %TEMP%

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line.

    ansible --version               # 2.19.5
cd ~/Ansible
cat ansible.cfg
cat inventory.ini

3. Usage

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line.

    ansible linux -m ping
ansible linux -u smru -K -m command -a 'id -a'
ansible linux -u smru -K -m command -a 'uname -a'
ansible windows -m win_ping
ansible windows -m raw -a 'msg * Merry Christmas from Douwe.'

4. Inventory.ini

host1 ansible_host=127.0.0.1 ansible_user=vagrant ansible_port=2222 ansible_ssh_private_key_file=./.vagrant/machines/host1/virtualbox/private_key

5. Snel.com

2026-01-05 19:32:23 delta@HOMENB-FRL01 ~/ansible$ ssh-copy-id team@vps-web.deltasoftware.frl
/usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: Source of key(s) to be installed: "/home/delta/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub"
/usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: attempting to log in with the new key(s), to filter out any that are already installed
/usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: 1 key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys
team@vps-web.deltasoftware.frl's password:

Number of key(s) added: 1

Now try logging into the machine, with: "ssh 'team@vps-web.deltasoftware.frl'"
and check to make sure that only the key(s) you wanted were added.

ssh-copy-id delta@localhost
2026-01-05 19:48:38 delta@HOMENB-FRL01 ~/ansible$ cat hosts.ini
# See https://blog.hosteons.com/2025/07/22/use-ansible-to-manage-multiple-vps-instances-efficiently/

[webservers]
#vps1 ansible_host=192.0.2.1 ansible_user=root
vps-web.deltasoftware.frl ansible_host=185.62.58.28 ansible_user=team
2026-01-05 19:50:58 delta@HOMENB-FRL01 ~/ansible$ cat ansible.cfg
[defaults]
#host_key_checking = False
interpreter_python = /usr/bin/python3.11
inventory = ./hosts.ini
remote_user = ansible_user

[privilege_escalation]
become_ask_pass = True
ansible -i hosts.ini all -m ping

vps-web.deltasoftware.frl | SUCCESS => {
    "changed": false,
    "ping": "pong"
}

ansible -i hosts.ini all -m command -a "ls -al"
ansible -i hosts.ini all -m command -a "ls -al /root"
ansible -i hosts.ini all --ask-become-pass --become -m command -a "sudo ls -al /root"
ansible -i hosts.ini all --become -m command -a "sudo ls -al /root"
ansible-inventory -i hosts.ini --list

6. Latest

  • Note: Make sure the default shell of OpenSSH server on the remote computer is set to the default Command Prompt.

    reg.exe query  HKLM\SOFTWARE\OpenSSH /v DefaultShell
reg.exe delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\OpenSSH /v DefaultShell /f
reg.exe add    HKLM\SOFTWARE\OpenSSH /v DefaultShell /t REG_SZ /d C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe /f
    DefaultShell    REG_SZ    C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe

6.1. Linux

ansible vps -m ping
ansible wsl_admin -m ping
ansible wsl_douwe -m ping

ansible-playbook --ask-become-pass linux/bash/playbook.yml
ansible-playbook --ask-become-pass linux/facts/playbook.yml

6.2. Windows

setup module            - Gathers facts about remote hosts
win_command module      - Executes a command on a remote Windows node
win_ping module         - A windows version of the classic ping module
win_powershell module   - Run PowerShell scripts
win_regedit module      - Add, change, or remove registry keys and values
win_shell module        - Execute shell commands on target hosts
win_user_profile module - Manages the Windows user profiles.

+

ansible windows -m win_ping

ansible-playbook windows/facts/playbook.yml
ansible-playbook windows/putty/playbook.yml