How to install Ansible in Fedora 38 - Ansible install

How to install Ansible in Fedora version 38.

Today we're going to talk about the easier way to install and maintain Ansible inside Fedora 38 using the system repository.

I'm Luca Berton and welcome to today's episode of Ansible Pilot.

How to install Ansible in Fedora 38

Today we're talking about How to install Ansible in Fedora 38.

The good news is that Ansible is included in the default repository so you could install it simply with your usual package manager.

You could expect the latest version of Ansible in the updates repository.

At the moment is available the latest 2.14.6 for ansible-core and 7.6.0 for ansible.

See also: Ansible terminology - ansible vs ansible-core packages.

## Playbook

Let's jump in a quick live Playbook of how to install the latest version of Ansible in Fedora.

code

• install-Ansible-Fedora.sh

#!/bin/bash
sudo dnf update
sudo dnf list available ansible
sudo dnf install ansible
sudo "rpm -qa | grep ansible"
sudo dnf list ansible

execution

[root@fedora luca]# cat /etc/os-release 
NAME="Fedora Linux"
VERSION="38 (Workstation Edition)"
ID=fedora
VERSION_ID=38
VERSION_CODENAME=""
PLATFORM_ID="platform:f38"
PRETTY_NAME="Fedora Linux 38 (Workstation Edition)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;38;2;60;110;180"
LOGO=fedora-logo-icon
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:38"
DEFAULT_HOSTNAME="fedora"
HOME_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/"
DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f38/system-administrators-guide/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://ask.fedoraproject.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugzilla.redhat.com/"
REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT="Fedora"
REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT_VERSION=38
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="Fedora"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION=38
SUPPORT_END=2024-05-14
VARIANT="Workstation Edition"
VARIANT_ID=workstation
[root@fedora luca]# ansible
bash: ansible: command not found...
Install package 'ansible-core' to provide command 'ansible'? [N/y] n
[root@fedora luca]# dnf list available ansible-core
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:27 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Available Packages
ansible-core.noarch             2.14.6-1.fc38              updates
[root@fedora luca]# dnf list available ansible
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:34 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Available Packages
ansible.noarch                7.6.0-1.fc38                 updates
[root@fedora luca]# rpm -qa|grep ansible
[root@fedora luca]# ansible --version
bash: ansible: command not found...
Install package 'ansible-core' to provide command 'ansible'? [N/y] n
[root@fedora luca]# dnf install ansible
Last metadata expiration check: 0:01:06 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Dependencies resolved.
==================================================================
 Package              Arch     Version            Repo       Size
==================================================================
Installing:
 ansible              noarch   7.6.0-1.fc38       updates    45 M
Installing dependencies:
 ansible-core         noarch   2.14.6-1.fc38      updates   3.7 M
 python3-jinja2       noarch   3.0.3-7.fc38       fedora    638 k
 python3-resolvelib   noarch   0.5.5-7.fc38       fedora     43 k
Transaction Summary
==================================================================
Install  4 Packages
Total download size: 50 M
Installed size: 351 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
(1/4): python3-resolvelib-0.5.5-7 111 kB/s |  43 kB     00:00    
(2/4): python3-jinja2-3.0.3-7.fc3 402 kB/s | 638 kB     00:01    
(3/4): ansible-core-2.14.6-1.fc38 250 kB/s | 3.7 MB     00:15    
(4/4): ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarc 486 kB/s |  45 MB     01:35    
------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                             526 kB/s |  50 MB     01:36     
Fedora 38 - aarch64               1.6 MB/s | 1.6 kB     00:00    
Importing GPG key 0xEB10B464:
 Userid     : "Fedora (38) <fedora-38-primary@fedoraproject.org>"
 Fingerprint: 6A51 BBAB BA3D 5467 B617 1221 809A 8D7C EB10 B464
 From       : /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-38-aarch64
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Key imported successfully
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                          1/1 
  Installing       : python3-resolvelib-0.5.5-7.fc38.noarch   1/4 
  Installing       : python3-jinja2-3.0.3-7.fc38.noarch       2/4 
  Installing       : ansible-core-2.14.6-1.fc38.noarch        3/4 
  Installing       : ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarch              4/4 
  Running scriptlet: ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarch              4/4 
  Verifying        : python3-jinja2-3.0.3-7.fc38.noarch       1/4 
  Verifying        : python3-resolvelib-0.5.5-7.fc38.noarch   2/4 
  Verifying        : ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarch              3/4 
  Verifying        : ansible-core-2.14.6-1.fc38.noarch        4/4
Installed:
  ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarch                                     
  ansible-core-2.14.6-1.fc38.noarch                               
  python3-jinja2-3.0.3-7.fc38.noarch                              
  python3-resolvelib-0.5.5-7.fc38.noarch
Complete!
[root@fedora luca]# ansible --version
ansible [core 2.14.6]
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.2 (main, Feb  8 2023, 00:00:00) [GCC 13.0.1 20230208 (Red Hat 13.0.1-0)] (/usr/bin/python3)
  jinja version = 3.0.3
  libyaml = True

before execution

[root@fedora luca]# dnf list available ansible-core
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:27 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Available Packages
ansible-core.noarch             2.14.6-1.fc38              updates
[root@fedora luca]# dnf list available ansible
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:34 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Available Packages
ansible.noarch                7.6.0-1.fc38                 updates
[root@fedora luca]# rpm -qa|grep ansible
[root@fedora luca]# ansible --version
bash: ansible: command not found...
Install package 'ansible-core' to provide command 'ansible'? [N/y] n

after execution

[root@fedora luca]# rpm -qa | grep ansible
ansible-core-2.14.6-1.fc38.noarch
ansible-7.6.0-1.fc38.noarch
[root@fedora luca]# dnf list ansible
Last metadata expiration check: 0:03:44 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Installed Packages
ansible.noarch                7.6.0-1.fc38                @updates
[root@fedora luca]# dnf list ansible-core
Last metadata expiration check: 0:03:49 ago on Sat 10 Jun 2023 10:16:31 AM UTC.
Installed Packages
ansible-core.noarch             2.14.6-1.fc38             @updates
[root@fedora luca]# ansible --version
ansible [core 2.14.6]
  config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /root/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /usr/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.11.2 (main, Feb  8 2023, 00:00:00) [GCC 13.0.1 20230208 (Red Hat 13.0.1-0)] (/usr/bin/python3)
  jinja version = 3.0.3
  libyaml = True

code with ❤️ in GitHub

See also: How to Run Linux Fedora Workstation 39 on an Apple Mac

Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

If ansible --version fails or ansible localhost -m ping returns errors after installing on Fedora 38, the most common root causes are:

1. Wrong Python interpreter

Ansible runs on Python 3. If python3 is not in PATH or points to an old version, Ansible imports may fail. Check with:

python3 --version
which python3
ansible --version | grep "python version"

If the reported Python version is older than 3.10, install a newer interpreter via your distribution's package manager and either re-create your virtualenv or set ansible_python_interpreter in your inventory.

2. SELinux / AppArmor blocking ansible

On security-hardened distributions, mandatory access control can deny Ansible's working directories or block become privilege escalation. Symptoms include "Permission denied" on operations that succeed manually. Check with:

getenforce        # SELinux: should report Permissive or Enforcing
sudo aa-status     # AppArmor: lists profiles in enforce mode

Temporarily set SELinux to permissive (sudo setenforce 0) to confirm whether it's the cause; for production, write a tailored policy rather than disabling enforcement.

3. SSH key authentication failing

If ansible all -m ping works locally but fails for remote managed nodes, the issue is almost always SSH. Verify:

ssh -v user@managed-node 'echo ok'
ansible all -m ping -vvv

The verbose output will show whether the connection drops at TCP, key exchange, or authentication. Common fixes: copy your public key with ssh-copy-id, ensure PubkeyAuthentication yes in /etc/ssh/sshd_config on the managed node, and check that the user exists.

4. pip install conflicts with system packages

If you used pip instead of the system package manager and see "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ansible'", the install likely landed in a virtualenv or user-site directory not on PATH. Check:

pip show ansible-core
pip show ansible
echo $PATH

Install inside a virtualenv to keep system Python clean:

python3 -m venv ~/.venvs/ansible
source ~/.venvs/ansible/bin/activate
pip install ansible

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between ansible and ansible-core?

ansible-core is the engine plus the ansible.builtin collection (~50 modules). The ansible PyPI package bundles ansible-core plus hundreds of community collections, so ansible-galaxy collection list shows everything pre-installed. For minimal Execution Environments and CI, prefer ansible-core and explicitly list collections in requirements.yml.

Should I install Ansible from the package manager or pip?

The system package manager (apt/dnf/apk/pacman) is best for getting started — it installs to PATH and updates with the rest of the OS. Use pip inside a virtualenv when you need a specific version, want to install collections without root, or are building reproducible CI environments. Mixing both on the same system causes PATH ambiguity and is a frequent troubleshooting trap.

How do I update Ansible after the initial install on Fedora 38 -?

If installed via package manager, sudo dnf update ansible (or sudo apt upgrade ansible on Debian-family). If installed via pip, pip install --upgrade ansible inside the same virtualenv. Always read the changelog before crossing a minor version boundary (e.g. 2.18 → 2.19) — there are sometimes deprecation warnings to address before the next major.

Do I need to install anything on the managed nodes?

For Linux managed nodes: only Python 3 and an SSH server. Ansible is "agentless" — it copies its modules over SSH and runs them on the target. For Windows managed nodes you need WinRM or PSRP configured plus PowerShell 5.1+. No Ansible installation is ever required on the target.

Why does ansible localhost -m ping say "SUCCESS"? It's not a real ping.

The ansible.builtin.ping module does not send ICMP. It tests that Ansible can connect to the target, copy a Python module, execute it, and parse the JSON response. A "SUCCESS" reply means the entire transport pipeline works — which is exactly what you want to confirm after install.

See also: How to install Ansible in Fedora 34 - Ansible install

What's Next

Now that Ansible is installed on Fedora 38, build on it: • Write your first playbook • Ansible inventory: organize your hosts • Ansible variables and facts explained • Privilege escalation with become • Browse all Ansible tutorials

Conclusion

Now you know how to install the latest version of Ansible in Fedora using the system repository and the DNF package manager.

See also: How to install Ansible in Fedora 35 - Ansible install

Related Articles

• the Ansible template module reference