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ansible-pylibssh

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library1.4.0pypypi✓ verified 85d ago

Ansible Pylibssh provides Python bindings for the `libssh` client library, specifically designed for Ansible's SSH connection needs. It offers a low-level interface to SSH functionalities. The library is actively maintained with regular stable releases, with the current version being 1.4.0, which was released in March 2026.

pip install ansible-pylibssh
INSTALL
IMPORT
SIG · ANSIBLE-PYLIBSSH
A
ansible-pylibssh
devopspythonv1.4.0
Install
1.8s avg
Import
53ms
Disk
23MB
Pass rate
5/ 10
Env Coverage5 / 10
glibc
3.93.13
musl
3.93.13
Install & Compatibility
Where this runs
tested against v1.4.0 · pip install
no network on importno background threads
Install × environment matrix
Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux
musl
py 3.103.920 runs
build_error
glibc
py 3.103.920 runs
installs and imports cleanly · install 1.8s · import 0.053s · 26MB
23MB installed
● package 23MB
Code
Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

Session
from pylibsshext.session import Session
from ansible_pylibssh.session import Session
Core classes are exposed via the `pylibsshext` module, not directly from `ansible_pylibssh`.
LibsshSessionException
from pylibsshext.errors import LibsshSessionException
from ansible_pylibssh.errors import LibsshSessionException
Exceptions are located in the `pylibsshext.errors` submodule.
__version__
from pylibsshext import __version__
Library version information and other global attributes are available directly from `pylibsshext`.

This quickstart demonstrates how to establish an SSH session, execute a simple command, and then properly disconnect. It uses environment variables for host, user, and password for security and flexibility. Ensure the `libssh` C library is installed on your system and replace `SSH_HOST` and `SSH_USER` with valid credentials if not using a passwordless setup.

import os from pylibsshext.errors import LibsshSessionException from pylibsshext.session import Session HOST = os.environ.get('SSH_HOST', 'localhost') USER = os.environ.get('SSH_USER', 'testuser') PASSWORD = os.environ.get('SSH_PASSWORD', '') # Use a placeholder if not set, but real connections need a password or key if not PASSWORD: print("Warning: SSH_PASSWORD environment variable not set. Connection might fail if password authentication is required.") TIMEOUT = 30 PORT = 22 ssh = Session() try: ssh.connect( host=HOST, user=USER, password=PASSWORD, timeout=TIMEOUT, port=PORT, ) print(f'Successfully connected to {HOST}:{PORT}.') # Example: Execute a command channel = ssh.open_session() channel.request_exec('echo Hello from pylibssh!') output = channel.read_stdout(2048).decode() print(f'Command output: {output.strip()}') channel.close() channel.send_eof() except LibsshSessionException as ssh_exc: print(f'Failed to connect to {HOST}:{PORT} over SSH: {ssh_exc!s}') except Exception as e: print(f'An unexpected error occurred: {e}') finally: if ssh.is_connected: ssh.disconnect() print(f'Disconnected from {HOST}.')
Debug
Known issues
gotchaThe library is a set of Python bindings for `libssh`. Therefore, `libssh` (version 0.9.0 or newer) must be installed at the system level for `ansible-pylibssh` to function. Installing the Python package via pip alone is insufficient.
fix
Install `libssh` development packages (e.g., `libssh-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu, `libssh-devel` on RHEL/Fedora, or via Homebrew on macOS) matching version 0.9.0 or later on your operating system.
affects: All versions
breakingSupport for Python 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 was dropped with version 1.4.0. Installations on these Python versions will fail or result in an incompatible state.
fix
Upgrade your Python environment to Python 3.9 or newer before installing `ansible-pylibssh` version 1.4.0 or later.
affects: 1.4.0 and later
gotchaOlder versions (prior to v1.2.2) had a bug where downloading files larger than 64kB over SCP could fail, leading to incomplete transfers.
fix
Upgrade `ansible-pylibssh` to version 1.2.2 or newer to ensure reliable SCP transfers for larger files.
affects: < 1.2.2
gotchaPrior to version 1.2.1, attempting to download a non-existent remote file via SCP could lead to program crashes.
fix
Upgrade `ansible-pylibssh` to version 1.2.1 or newer to prevent crashes when handling non-existent remote files during SCP operations.
affects: < 1.2.1
gotchaEarlier versions (prior to v1.2.0) could crash if `channel.recv` was called and `libssh` returned an `SSH_EOF` error, or if a channel was not explicitly closed.
fix
Upgrade `ansible-pylibssh` to version 1.2.0 or newer for improved stability and crash prevention related to channel handling.
affects: < 1.2.0
breakingAs of version 1.4.0, macOS wheels require macOS version 15.0 or newer due to updates in the `cibuildwheel` process. Installations on older macOS versions may encounter issues.
fix
Ensure your macOS environment is version 15.0 or newer when installing `ansible-pylibssh` 1.4.0+ to use pre-compiled wheels. Alternatively, attempt to build from source (which may require specific build tools and `libssh` installation).
affects: 1.4.0 and later on macOS
Errors
Common errors & fixes
[WARNING]: ansible-pylibssh not installed, falling back to paramiko
Ansible defaults to using the 'paramiko' SSH library because 'ansible-pylibssh' is not installed.
fix
Install 'ansible-pylibssh' using pip: 'pip install ansible-pylibssh'.
fatal: [10.96.192.10]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "msg": "paramiko: The authenticity of host '10.96.192.10' can't be established.\nThe ssh-ed25519 key fingerprint is b'REDACTED'."}
The SSH client cannot verify the host's identity because the host key is not in the known_hosts file.
fix
Manually add the host key to the known_hosts file or configure Ansible to accept unknown host keys.
ld: library not found for -lssh
The linker cannot find the 'libssh' library during the installation of 'ansible-pylibssh'.
fix
Ensure 'libssh' is installed on your system. On macOS, you can install it using Homebrew: 'brew install libssh'.
fatal: [10.2.201.194]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "msg": "paramiko is not installed: No module named 'paramiko'"}
Ansible falls back to 'paramiko' for SSH connections, but 'paramiko' is not installed.
fix
Install 'paramiko' using pip: 'pip install paramiko'.
fatal error: 'libssh/libssh.h' file not found
ansible-pylibssh requires the `libssh` client library and its development headers (version 0.9.0 or newer) to be present and discoverable by the compiler during installation, which can be challenging on macOS or when building from source without proper CFLAGS.
fix
Install `libssh` using your system's package manager (e.g., `brew install libssh` on macOS, `sudo apt-get install libssh-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu, `sudo dnf install libssh-devel` on RHEL/Fedora) and then install `ansible-pylibssh` using `pip` with appropriate CFLAGS if necessary, especially on macOS. For macOS with Homebrew, use: `CFLAGS="-I $(brew --prefix)/include -I ext -L $(brew --prefix)/lib -lssh" pip install ansible-pylibssh`
Upgrade
Version history
1.4.0latest on PyPI · released Mar 16, 2026
Audit
Dependencies
libsshrequiredRequires the system-level libssh C library (version 0.9.0 or newer) to be installed for the Python bindings to function. This is a crucial runtime dependency, not a Python package.
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