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AnsibleUpdated July 3, 2026

Azure Ansible Local CLI Setup

ansibleazurelocal-setupclipyenvpythonazure-cliazure-collectiondevelopment-environment

Azure Ansible Local CLI Setup Guide

This guide helps you set up a robust, secure, and maintainable local Ansible environment for Azure development, using your own credentials via az login.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.11+ (recommended: manage via pyenv)
  • Ansible (v2.18+ recommended)
  • Azure CLI
  • Azure Ansible Collection (azure.azcollection)

1. Install pyenv and Python

1.1 Mac (Homebrew)

brew update
brew install pyenv
pyenv install 3.11.9
pyenv virtualenv 3.11.9 ansible-azure-311
pyenv activate ansible-azure-311

1.2 Linux/WSL

curl https://pyenv.run | bash
# Follow pyenv's setup instructions for your shell
pyenv install 3.11.9
pyenv virtualenv 3.11.9 ansible-azure-311
pyenv activate ansible-azure-311

2. Upgrade pip and Install Ansible

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install "ansible>=2.18.0"

3. Install Azure Ansible Collection

ansible-galaxy collection install azure.azcollection

4. Install Python Dependencies for Azure Collection

pip install -r ~/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/azure/azcollection/requirements.txt

5. Install Azure CLI

5.1 Mac

brew install azure-cli

5.2 Linux/WSL

curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash

6. Authenticate to Azure

az login

  • Complete the browser-based login with your developer credentials.

  • Ensure you have access to the correct subscription:

    az account show

7. Configure Your Inventory File (azure_rm.yaml)

Example:

plugin: azure.azcollection.azure_rm
auth_source: cli
plain_host_names: true
keyed_groups:
  - key: tags
    prefix: tag
  - key: location
    prefix: azure

Save to e.g. inventories/azure/azure_rm.yaml.

8. Test the Inventory

ansible-inventory -i inventories/azure/azure_rm.yaml --list

9. Optional: Project .ansible.cfg

[defaults]
ansible_python_interpreter = ~/.pyenv/versions/ansible-azure-311/bin/python3
inventory = inventories/azure/azure_rm.yaml

[inventory]
enable_plugins = azure.azcollection.azure_rm,host_list,script,auto,yaml,ini,toml

Troubleshooting

  • Missing dependencies: Ensure all requirements in the Azure collection’s requirements.txt are installed.
  • No inventory found: Double check az login and your subscription.
  • Auth errors: Confirm auth_source: cli and no conflicting environment variables.

References