community.crypto.openssh_keypair module – Generate OpenSSH private and public keys

community.crypto.openssh_keypair module – Generate OpenSSH private and public keys

https://docs.ansible.com/projects/ansible/latest/collections/community/crypto/openssh_keypair_module.html

Note

This module is part of the community.crypto collection (version 3.0.5).

You might already have this collection installed if you are using the ansible package. It is not included in ansible-core. To check whether it is installed, run ansible-galaxy collection list.

To install it, use: ansible-galaxy collection install community.crypto. You need further requirements to be able to use this module, see Requirements for details.

To use it in a playbook, specify: community.crypto.openssh_keypair.

Synopsis

Requirements

Parameters

Attributes

Notes

Examples

Return Values

Synopsis This module allows one to (re)generate OpenSSH private and public keys. It uses ssh-keygen to generate keys. One can generate rsa, dsa, rsa1, ed25519 or ecdsa private keys.

Requirements The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.

ssh-keygen (if backend=openssh)

cryptography >= 3.3 (if backend=cryptography)

Parameters Parameter

Comments

attributes aliases: attr

string

The attributes the resulting filesystem object should have.

To get supported flags look at the man page for chattr on the target system.

This string should contain the attributes in the same order as the one displayed by lsattr.

The = operator is assumed as default, otherwise + or - operators need to be included in the string.

backend string

added in community.crypto 1.7.0

Selects between the cryptography library or the OpenSSH binary opensshbin.

auto will default to opensshbin unless the OpenSSH binary is not installed or when using passphrase.

Choices:

“auto” ← (default)

“cryptography”

“opensshbin”

comment string

Provides a new comment to the public key.

force boolean

Should the key be regenerated even if it already exists.

Choices:

false ← (default)

true

group string

Name of the group that should own the filesystem object, as would be fed to chown.

When left unspecified, it uses the current group of the current user unless you are root, in which case it can preserve the previous ownership.

mode any

The permissions the resulting filesystem object should have.

For those used to /usr/bin/chmod remember that modes are actually octal numbers. You must give Ansible enough information to parse them correctly. For consistent results, quote octal numbers (for example, ‘644’ or ‘1777’) so Ansible receives a string and can do its own conversion from string into number. Adding a leading zero (for example, 0755) works sometimes, but can fail in loops and some other circumstances.

Giving Ansible a number without following either of these rules will end up with a decimal number which will have unexpected results.

As of Ansible 1.8, the mode may be specified as a symbolic mode (for example, u+rwx or u=rw,g=r,o=r).

If mode is not specified and the destination filesystem object does not exist, the default umask on the system will be used when setting the mode for the newly created filesystem object.

If mode is not specified and the destination filesystem object does exist, the mode of the existing filesystem object will be used.

Specifying mode is the best way to ensure filesystem objects are created with the correct permissions. See CVE-2020-1736 for further details.

owner string

Name of the user that should own the filesystem object, as would be fed to chown.

When left unspecified, it uses the current user unless you are root, in which case it can preserve the previous ownership.

Specifying a numeric username will be assumed to be a user ID and not a username. Avoid numeric usernames to avoid this confusion.

passphrase string

added in community.crypto 1.7.0

Passphrase used to decrypt an existing private key or encrypt a newly generated private key.

Passphrases are not supported for type=rsa1.

Can only be used when backend=cryptography, or when backend=auto and a required cryptography version is installed.

path path / required

Name of the files containing the public and private key. The file containing the public key will have the extension .pub.

private_key_format string

added in community.crypto 1.7.0

Used when backend=cryptography to select a format for the private key at the provided path.

When set to auto this module will match the key format of the installed OpenSSH version.

For OpenSSH < 7.8 private keys will be in PKCS1 format except ed25519 keys which will be in OpenSSH format.

For OpenSSH >= 7.8 all private key types will be in the OpenSSH format.

Using this option when regenerate=partial_idempotence or regenerate=full_idempotence will cause a new keypair to be generated if the private key’s format does not match the value of private_key_format. This module will not however convert existing private keys between formats.

Choices:

“auto” ← (default)

“pkcs1”

“pkcs8”

“ssh”

regenerate string

added in community.crypto 1.0.0

Allows to configure in which situations the module is allowed to regenerate private keys. The module will always generate a new key if the destination file does not exist.

By default, the key will be regenerated when it does not match the module’s options, except when the key cannot be read or the passphrase does not match. Please note that this changed for Ansible 2.10. For Ansible 2.9, the behaviour was as if full_idempotence is specified.

If set to never, the module will fail if the key cannot be read or the passphrase is not matching, and will never regenerate an existing key.

If set to fail, the module will fail if the key does not correspond to the module’s options.

If set to partial_idempotence, the key will be regenerated if it does not conform to the module’s options. The key is not regenerated if it cannot be read (broken file), the key is protected by an unknown passphrase, or when they key is not protected by a passphrase, but a passphrase is specified.

If set to full_idempotence, the key will be regenerated if it does not conform to the module’s options. This is also the case if the key cannot be read (broken file), the key is protected by an unknown passphrase, or when they key is not protected by a passphrase, but a passphrase is specified. Make sure you have a backup when using this option!

If set to always, the module will always regenerate the key. This is equivalent to setting force to true.

Note that adjusting the comment and the permissions can be changed without regeneration. Therefore, even for never, the task can result in changed.

Choices:

“never”

“fail”

“partial_idempotence” ← (default)

“full_idempotence”

“always”

selevel string

The level part of the SELinux filesystem object context.

This is the MLS/MCS attribute, sometimes known as the range.

When set to _default, it will use the level portion of the policy if available.

serole string

The role part of the SELinux filesystem object context.

When set to _default, it will use the role portion of the policy if available.

setype string

The type part of the SELinux filesystem object context.

When set to _default, it will use the type portion of the policy if available.

seuser string

The user part of the SELinux filesystem object context.

By default it uses the system policy, where applicable.

When set to _default, it will use the user portion of the policy if available.

size integer

Specifies the number of bits in the private key to create. For RSA keys, the minimum size is 1024 bits and the default is 4096 bits. Generally, 2048 bits is considered sufficient. DSA keys must be exactly 1024 bits as specified by FIPS 186-2. For ECDSA keys, size determines the key length by selecting from one of three elliptic curve sizes: 256, 384 or 521 bits. Attempting to use bit lengths other than these three values for ECDSA keys will cause this module to fail. Ed25519 keys have a fixed length and the size will be ignored.

state string

Whether the private and public keys should exist or not, taking action if the state is different from what is stated.

Choices:

“present” ← (default)

“absent”

type string

The algorithm used to generate the SSH private key. rsa1 is for protocol version 1. rsa1 is deprecated and may not be supported by every version of ssh-keygen.

Choices:

“rsa” ← (default)

“dsa”

“rsa1”

“ecdsa”

“ed25519”

unsafe_writes boolean

Influence when to use atomic operation to prevent data corruption or inconsistent reads from the target filesystem object.

By default this module uses atomic operations to prevent data corruption or inconsistent reads from the target filesystem objects, but sometimes systems are configured or just broken in ways that prevent this. One example is docker mounted filesystem objects, which cannot be updated atomically from inside the container and can only be written in an unsafe manner.

This option allows Ansible to fall back to unsafe methods of updating filesystem objects when atomic operations fail (however, it doesn’t force Ansible to perform unsafe writes).

IMPORTANT! Unsafe writes are subject to race conditions and can lead to data corruption.

Choices:

false ← (default)

true

Attributes Attribute

Support

Description

check_mode full

Can run in check_mode and return changed status prediction without modifying target.

diff_mode full

Will return details on what has changed (or possibly needs changing in check_mode), when in diff mode.

idempotent partial

The module is not idempotent if force=true or regenerate=always.

When run twice in a row outside check mode, with the same arguments, the second invocation indicates no change.

This assumes that the system controlled/queried by the module has not changed in a relevant way.

safe_file_operations full

Uses Ansible’s strict file operation functions to ensure proper permissions and avoid data corruption.

Notes Note

In case the ssh key is broken or password protected, the module will fail. Set the force option to true if you want to regenerate the keypair.

In the case a custom mode, group, owner, or other file attribute is provided it will be applied to both key files.

Examples

• name: Generate an OpenSSH keypair with the default values (4096 bits, rsa) community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /tmp/id_ssh_rsa

• name: Generate an OpenSSH keypair with the default values (4096 bits, rsa) and encrypted private key community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /tmp/id_ssh_rsa passphrase: super_secret_password

• name: Generate an OpenSSH rsa keypair with a different size (2048 bits) community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /tmp/id_ssh_rsa size: 2048

• name: Force regenerate an OpenSSH keypair if it already exists community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /tmp/id_ssh_rsa force: true

• name: Regenerate SSH keypair only if format or options mismatch community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /home/devops/.ssh/id_ed25519 type: ed25519 regenerate: full_idempotence private_key_format: ssh

• name: Generate an OpenSSH keypair with a different algorithm (dsa) community.crypto.openssh_keypair: path: /tmp/id_ssh_dsa type: dsa Return Values Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key

Description

comment string

The comment of the generated key.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: “test@comment”

filename string

Path to the generated SSH private key file.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: “/tmp/id_ssh_rsa”

fingerprint string

The fingerprint of the key.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: “SHA256:r4YCZxihVjedH2OlfjVGI6Y5xAYtdCwk8VxKyzVyYfM”

public_key string

The public key of the generated SSH private key.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: “ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza(…omitted…)veL4E3Xcw==”

size integer

Sise (in bits) of the SSH private key.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: 4096

type string

Algorithm used to generate the SSH private key.

Returned: changed or success

Sample: “rsa”

Authors David Kainz (@lolcube)

Collection links Issue Tracker Repository (Sources) Ask for help (crypto) Ask for help (ACME) Submit a bug report Request a feature Communication © Copyright Ansible project contributors. Last updated on Dec 29, 2025.