Allow overriding ansible_ssh_extra_args on the command-line

This patch makes it possible to do:

    ansible somehost -m setup \
        --ssh-extra-args '-o ProxyCommand="ssh -W %h:%p -q user@bouncer.example.com"'

This overrides the inventory setting, if any, of ansible_ssh_extra_args.

Based on a patch originally by @Richard2ndQuadrant.

lib/ansible/cli/__init__.py

@@ -315,6 +315,8 @@ class CLI(object):
                 help="connection type to use (default=%s)" % C.DEFAULT_TRANSPORT)
             parser.add_option('-T', '--timeout', default=C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, type='int', dest='timeout',
                 help="override the connection timeout in seconds (default=%s)" % C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+            parser.add_option('--ssh-extra-args', default='', dest='ssh_extra_args',
+                help="specify extra arguments to pass to ssh (e.g. ProxyCommand)")
 
         if async_opts:
             parser.add_option('-P', '--poll', default=C.DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL, type='int', dest='poll_interval',

lib/ansible/playbook/play_context.py

@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ class PlayContext(Base):
     _private_key_file = FieldAttribute(isa='string', default=C.DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE)
     _timeout          = FieldAttribute(isa='int', default=C.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
     _shell            = FieldAttribute(isa='string')
+    _ssh_extra_args   = FieldAttribute(isa='string')
     _connection_lockfd= FieldAttribute(isa='int')
 
     # privilege escalation fields
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ class PlayContext(Base):
 
         self.remote_user = options.remote_user
         self.private_key_file = options.private_key_file
+        self.ssh_extra_args = options.ssh_extra_args
 
         # privilege escalation
         self.become        = options.become

lib/ansible/plugins/connections/ssh.py

@@ -121,9 +121,10 @@ class Connection(ConnectionBase):
         self._common_args += ("-o", "ConnectTimeout={0}".format(self._play_context.timeout))
 
         # If any extra SSH arguments are specified in the inventory for
-        # this host, add them in.
+        # this host, or specified as an override on the command line,
-        if self.ssh_extra_args is not None:
+        # add them in.
-            extra_args = self.ssh_extra_args
+        extra_args = self._play_context.ssh_extra_args or self.ssh_extra_args
+        if extra_args is not None:
             self._common_args += [x.strip() for x in shlex.split(extra_args) if x.strip()]
 
         self._connected = True