LogoLogo
DownloadBlog
  • Overview
  • Getting started
    • Meshnet explained
    • How to start using Meshnet
      • Using Meshnet on Windows
      • Using Meshnet on Android
      • Using Meshnet on iPhone/iPad
      • Using Meshnet on macOS
      • Using Meshnet on Linux
      • Using Meshnet on Android TV
    • How to use Meshnet securely
  • Features
    • Linking devices in Meshnet
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Windows
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on macOS
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Linux
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android TV
    • Explaining permissions
      • Remote access permissions
      • File sharing permissions
      • Traffic routing permissions
      • Local network permissions
    • Renaming devices in Meshnet
      • Renaming devices on Windows
      • Renaming devices on Android
      • Renaming devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Renaming devices on macOS
      • Renaming devices on Linux
    • Sharing files in Meshnet
      • Sharing files on Windows
      • Sharing files on Android
      • Sharing files on iPhone/iPad
      • Sharing files on macOS
      • Sharing files on Linux
      • Sharing files on Android TV
    • Routing traffic in Meshnet
      • Routing traffic from Windows
      • Routing traffic from Android
      • Routing traffic from iPhone/iPad
      • Routing traffic from macOS
      • Routing traffic from Linux
      • Routing traffic from Android TV
  • How-to guides
    • Gaming
      • How to set up a private Minecraft server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Stardew Valley server with Meshnet
      • How to play Quake 3 Arena over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Team Fortress 2 server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote game-streaming server for Moonlight
      • How to set up a Palworld dedicated server
      • How to play Fallout: New Vegas multiplayer over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Factorio server with Meshnet
    • Remote files and media access
      • How to set up and access shared folders
        • Configure and access shared folders on Windows
        • Configure and access shared folders on macOS
        • Configure and access shared folders on Linux
        • Access shared folders from Android
        • Access shared folders from iPhone/iPad
        • Access shared folders from Android TV
      • How to watch videos over Meshnet using Kodi
      • How to configure and access a Jellyfin media server remotely
      • How to set up a Plex media server and access it remotely
      • How to set up a remote NAS using OpenMediaVault and Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote picture library with LibrePhotos and Meshnet
      • How to use Syncthing for remote continuous file synchronization
      • How to set up a remote Airsonic music server
      • How to set up HTTP File Server for remote file access
      • How to set up a remote audiobook server
      • How to host a remote Kavita e-book server
      • How to set up and remotely access Immich using Meshnet
    • Remote device access
      • How to log in to your PC remotely over Meshnet
        • Connect to a Windows device
        • Connect to a macOS device
        • Connect to a Linux device
      • How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH
      • How to access your IP camera over Meshnet
      • How to use Home Assistant remotely over Meshnet
      • How to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhere
      • How to use Ansible over Meshnet
      • How to access files in your NAS from anywhere without compromising its security
      • How to set up a phone as a security camera with remote access
      • How to assign custom host names to Meshnet services using Nginx proxy manager
      • How to use Proxmox VE remotely over Meshnet
      • How to set up a remotely controlled 3D printer
      • How to set up and remotely access a CasaOS server
    • Joint projects
      • How to set up an NGINX web server and remotely access it over Meshnet
      • How to use Nextcloud file syncing with Meshnet
      • How to set up pair programming using tmux
      • How to set up a Visual Studio Code server for remote development over Meshnet
      • How to host a Focalboard server for remote project management
      • How to use Meshnet for multi-screen Node.js development
      • How to use the Multi-user editing plugin in Unreal Engine over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Mumble voice chat server
      • How to host a private Rocket.Chat server
    • Own VPN server setup
      • How to set up a VPN server through self-hosting or with DigitalOcean
      • How to create a VPN server with Microsoft Azure
      • How to create a VPN server with AWS
      • How to create a VPN server with Google Cloud
      • How to create a VPN server with Linode
      • How to create a VPN server with Hetzner
    • Network protection
      • How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole
      • How to set up your own DNS server
      • How to protect your network with AdGuard Home
      • How to use the self-hosted Whoogle search engine remotely
      • How to set up a VPN router using Meshnet
  • Troubleshooting
    • Common issues on Windows
    • Common issues on Android
    • Common issues on iPhone/iPad
    • Common issues on macOS
    • Common issues on Linux
Powered by GitBook

© 2025 Nord Security. All Rights Reserved.

On this page
  • Introduction
  • Before you begin
  • Enable host SSH access
  • Prepare SSH key authentication
  • Install Ansible
  • Add Meshnet host devices
  • Enable passwordless sudo access
  • Test connection to Meshnet hosts
  • Execute an Ansible command

Was this helpful?

  1. How-to guides
  2. Remote device access

How to use Ansible over Meshnet

Learn how to configure Ansible for remote connections over Meshnet on macOS and Linux.

PreviousHow to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhereNextHow to access files in your NAS from anywhere without compromising its security

Last updated 9 months ago

Was this helpful?

Introduction

is free, open-source software available on macOS and Linux that is used for cross-platform automation. It allows you to control numerous host devices at the same time. You can automate virtual machine creation, operating system installation, software configuration, and much more.

While you can use Ansible with remote devices, you must ensure that the host device’s network allows outside connections by opening ports in the firewall. This configuration may leave the host device vulnerable to malicious intrusion.

By using in your Ansible configuration, you can connect devices to virtual private networks. All commands and are executed via an encrypted tunnel using the . This results in a fast and secure data exchange between the devices.

In this article, you will find instructions on how to prepare an Ansible control node on macOS and Linux for remote connections over Meshnet.

Before you begin

Note

For the purpose of this article, Ansible host devices will be Linux machines.

Ansible uses a (SSH) connection between devices. While username and password authentication can be used, SSH keys are preferred. SSH key-based authentication is more secure due to its asymmetric encryption. Additionally, no user input is required for authentication, which makes it easier to set up and execute automated workflows.

Enable host SSH access

Ensure that your Ansible host devices accept SSH connections by following instructions from the section of the "How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH" article.

Prepare SSH key authentication

For this configuration, you need to generate an SSH key on your control node device and copy it to your Ansible host devices. For instructions on setting up SSH keys, see the section of the "How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH" article.

Install Ansible

With the prerequisites taken care of, you can proceed with installing the Ansible software.

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Execute this command to update your repositories and install Ansible:

    sudo apt update && sudo apt install ansible -y

Ansible and its required packages are now installed on your system and ready for use.

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Enter the following command to install Homebrew:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation.

  4. Install Ansible by running the following command:

    brew install ansible

Ansible and its required packages are now installed on your system and ready for use.

Add Meshnet host devices

After installing, you need to point Ansible to the host devices in Ansible’s hosts file.

  1. Open the hosts file in the Nano text editor using this command:

    sudo nano /etc/ansible/hosts

    If the hosts file or the ansible directory are not present on your system, you can create them using the following command:

    sudo mkdir /etc/ansible && sudo nano /etc/ansible/hosts

  2. Append a line for your Meshnet device as shown:

    <alias> ansible_host=<NordName> ansible_user=<username>

    Where:

    • <alias> is a custom alias for the host device.

    • <NordName> is the host device's Nord name or Meshnet IP address.

    • <username> is the username of the host device's account used for SSH. This line creates an alias for a specified IP address or hostname. The alias can then be used in Ansible commands or playbooks for controlling the specified device. Example

      meshUbuntu ansible_host=secret.meerkat-altai.nord ansible_user=ubuntu

  3. Press Ctrl + X, Y, and Enter to save changes and exit.

For each additional host device, you need to append a new line in the hosts file.

You can also assign host devices into groups. This allows you to control all devices in a group with a single command by addressing them via the group name. The group name must be written inside square brackets before any of the host devices in that group.

For example, to create a group called meshDevices, you need to append a [meshDevices] line above all device lines.

  1. Create and open the hosts file using the Nano text editor by running this command in the terminal:

    mkdir /usr/local/etc/ansible && nano /usr/local/etc/ansible/hosts

  2. Append a line for your Meshnet device as shown:

    <alias> ansible_host=<NordName> ansible_user=<username>

    Where:

    • <alias> is a custom name for the host device.

    • <NordName> is the host device's Nord name or Meshnet IP address.

    • <username> is the username of the host device's account used for SSH. This line creates an alias for a specified IP address or hostname. The alias can then be used in Ansible commands or playbooks for controlling the specified device.

      Example

      meshUbuntu ansible_host=secret.meerkat-altai.nord ansible_user=ubuntu

  3. Press Control + X, Y, and Return to save changes and exit.

  4. Create an Ansible configuration file and point it to the hosts file using this command:

    echo "[defaults]\ninventory = /usr/local/etc/ansible/hosts" >> /usr/local/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

  5. Check if the ansible.cfg file has been created with the correct hosts file path by running this command:

    cat /usr/local/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

For each additional host device, you need to append a new line in the hosts file.

You can also assign host devices into groups. This allows you to control all devices in a group with a single command by addressing them via the group name. The group name must be written inside square brackets before any of the host devices in that group.

For example, to create a group called meshDevices, you need to append a [meshDevices] line above all device lines.

  1. Create and open the hosts file using Nano by running this command in the terminal:

    mkdir /opt/homebrew/etc/ansible && nano /opt/homebrew/etc/ansible/hosts

  2. Append a line for your Meshnet device as shown:

    <alias> ansible_host=<NordName> ansible_user=<username>

    Where:

    • <alias> is a custom name for the host device.

    • <NordName> is the host device's Nord name or Meshnet IP address.

    • <username> is the username of the host device's account used for SSH. This line creates an alias for a specified IP address or hostname. The alias can then be used in Ansible commands or playbooks for controlling the specified device.

      Example

      meshUbuntu ansible_host=secret.meerkat-altai.nord ansible_user=ubuntu

  3. Press Control + X, Y, and Return to save changes and exit.

  4. Create an Ansible configuration file and point it to the hosts file via this command:

    echo "[defaults]\ninventory = /opt/homebrew/etc/ansible/hosts" >> /opt/homebrew/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

  5. Check if the ansible.cfg file has been created with the correct hosts file path by running this command:

    cat /opt/homebrew/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

For each additional host device, you need to append a new line in the hosts file.

You can also assign host devices into groups. This allows you to control all devices in a group with a single command by addressing them via the group name. The group name must be written inside square brackets before any of the host devices in that group.

For example, to create a group called meshDevices, you need to append a [meshDevices] line above all device lines.

Enable passwordless sudo access

To make Ansible more efficient, you want to minimize the number of times you need user input. By default, you are prompted to enter the root password to perform many tasks, for example, installing software or performing updates.

To avoid this, you can disable the sudo password prompt for a specific user on your Ansible host devices.

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Run the following command to safely edit the sudoers file:

    sudo visudo

  3. At the end of the file, append a line, replacing <username> with the account’s username:

    <username> ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

    This command will disable the root password requirement for the specified user. Example

  4. Press Ctrl + X, Y, and Return to save changes and exit.

Test connection to Meshnet hosts

Check if a connection between the control node and host devices can be established by using the following command:

ansible -m ping all

The response you receive should be SUCCESS.

Execute an Ansible command

Consider the following example:

ansible meshUbuntu -bm apt -a "name=cowsay state=latest"

Once the process finishes, cowsay commands can be used on the remote server.

Note

If you choose not to configure SSH keys, you will need to use the --ask-pass or the -k option with your Ansible commands and enter the SSH password.

To install Ansible on macOS, you need to use the package manager.

For additional information about the installation process, refer to .

With the Ansible hosts file configured for your Meshnet devices and the connection verified, you can use standard Ansible commands or playbooks. For detailed instructions, refer to the .

In this example, the application is installed on a remote Ubuntu server, which is specified under the meshUbuntu alias in the hosts file.

Homebrew
Homebrew documentation
Ansible documentation
cowsay
Ansible
Meshnet
playbooks
NordLynx technology
secure shell
Enable SSH access
Configuring SSH keys
Ansible hosts file
Ansible configuration file
Ansible hosts file
Ansible configuration file
Ansible hosts file
sudoers file being edited
Ansible ping success
Cowsay application output