Where Is the Ansible Config File?
Ansible config file precedence (project, home, system) and the default inventory and roles paths on Linux.
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Ansible searches for config in order: ANSIBLE_CONFIG variable, ./ansible.cfg in the project, ~/.ansible.cfg in home, then /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg. First hit wins.
Project-local config usually wins in practice, which is why global edits seem ignored. The version command prints the effective file.
Where Ansible stores this, by platform
/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
System-wide fallback, lowest precedence. Default inventory lives next to it at /etc/ansible/hosts. Project and home configs override this.
~/.ansible.cfg
Per-user override. A project-level ./ansible.cfg still beats it. Confirm the winner with ansible --version.
Frequently asked questions
Which ansible.cfg is active?
Run ansible --version. Its first lines print the config file in use, which resolves the precedence question for your exact invocation and directory.
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