Troubleshooting Ansible SSM 'stty -echo' Timeout Failures

Fix intermittent 'DISABLE ECHO command' timeout errors when running Ansible via AWS SSM in GitHub Actions. Learn root causes and solutions for stable CI/CD deployments.

1 answer• 2 views

02/03/2026, 12:10 PM

How to troubleshoot and fix intermittent ‘DISABLE ECHO command 'stty -echo' timeout’ failures when running Ansible playbook via AWS SSM in GitHub Actions?

Issue Description

Ansible deployment to EC2 instances via SSM fails intermittently with timeout on DISABLE ECHO command ‘stty -echo’.
Error occurs at task path: ansible/playbooks/deploy_app.yml:2.
SSM connection sometimes shows ‘Connection Lost’ and gets stuck.
Increasing timeout from 60s to 120s and testing SSM connection helps partially, but issue persists.
Deployment sometimes succeeds.

GitHub Actions Workflow Step

yaml

- name: Run Ansible deployment via SSM
 env:
 AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: ${{ env.AWS_REGION }}
 AWS_REGION: ${{ env.AWS_REGION }}
 run: |
 ansible-playbook \
 -i ansible/inventory/hosts.ini \
 ansible/playbooks/deploy_app.yml \
 -e "ecr_registry=${{ steps.deploy-vars.outputs.ecr-registry }}" \
 -e "ecr_repository=${{ steps.deploy-vars.outputs.ecr-repository }}" \
 -e "deploy_environment=${{ needs.determine-environment.outputs.environment }}" \
 -e "image_tag=latest" \
 -e "aws_region=eu-west-2" \
 -vvv

Ansible Playbook (deploy_app.yml)

The playbook pulls Docker images from ECR, logs in using SSM parameters, fetches env vars from SSM Parameter Store, stops old containers, starts new ones (ec2server_app, celery worker/beat, nginx), and cleans up.

Key sections:

ECR Login:

yaml

- name: Get ECR login password
shell: aws ecr get-login-password --region {{ aws_region }}
register: ecr_password
changed_when: false
no_log: true
become: false
retries: 3
delay: 5
until: ecr_password.rc == 0

- name: Log in to Docker with ECR credentials
shell: |
echo "{{ ecr_password.stdout }}" | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin {{ ecr_registry }}
# ...

SSM Parameters:

yaml

- name: Fetch environment variables from SSM
shell: |
aws ssm get-parameters-by-path \
--path "/{{ deploy_environment | upper }}/BE/DJ" \
--region {{ aws_region }} \
--recursive \
--with-decryption \
--query 'Parameters[*].[Name,Value]' \
--output json
# ...

Docker containers started with become: true on webservers hosts.

Full playbook involves Docker network creation, image pull, container management (nginx:latest and app image), crontab, celery, and image pruning.

Questions

Why does the ‘stty -echo’ timeout occur during SSM Ansible execution (likely related to sudo/become)?
How to stabilize SSM connections for reliable Ansible runs?
Recommended timeouts, retries, or configuration for AWS SSM with Ansible in CI/CD?
Any Ansible.cfg or SSM plugin settings to prevent echo disable timeouts?

The ‘DISABLE ECHO command ‘stty -echo’ timeout’ failures in AWS SSM Ansible connections occur when the SSM plugin cannot handle interactive sudo password prompts during privilege escalation, causing intermittent connection drops that impact your CI/CD deployments. This issue specifically manifests during become operations in Ansible playbooks running via GitHub Actions, where the SSM session times out while waiting for user input that’s unavailable in automated environments. Understanding the root causes and implementing proper configuration for passwordless sudo, session timeouts, and connection settings can stabilize your deployment pipeline and eliminate these intermittent failures.

Understanding the ‘stty -echo’ Timeout Issue in AWS SSM Ansible Connections
Root Cause Analysis: Why SSM Connections Fail During Privilege Escalation
Configuring AWS SSM Session Timeouts for Ansible Playbooks
Implementing Passwordless Sudo for Reliable CI/CD Deployments
Alternative Connection Methods: SSH vs SSM for Ansible in CI/CD
Optimizing Ansible Configuration for SSM Connections
Monitoring and Troubleshooting Persistent SSM Connection Issues

Understanding the ‘stty -echo’ Timeout Issue in AWS SSM Ansible Connections

The “DISABLE ECHO command ‘stty -echo’ timeout” error you’re encountering is a specific manifestation of a broader issue with AWS SSM connections when Ansible attempts privilege escalation operations. Let’s break down what’s happening:

The stty -echo command is a Unix/Linux terminal command that disables the echoing of typed characters to the terminal. This is commonly used during password entry to prevent sensitive passwords from being visible on screen. In the context of sudo authentication, the system typically:

Prompts for a password with echo disabled (using stty -echo)
Waits for user input
Enables echo again after authentication completes

However, in AWS SSM sessions, this process breaks down because:

SSM sessions are non-interactive by design
The SSM plugin cannot properly handle these terminal control sequences
When Ansible tries to run a sudo command, the system waits for input that never comes
After the timeout period (60-120 seconds in your case), the connection fails

This explains why your issue specifically affects tasks that use become: true - exactly what happens with your Docker container management operations. The intermittent nature suggests that sometimes the SSM connection manages to complete the sudo operation before timeout, while other times it doesn’t.

Why This Happens in GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions compounds this issue because:

Multiple processes might be competing for SSM connections
Network conditions can be less stable than direct SSH
The ephemerally nature of CI/CD workers can cause connection instability
Parallel workflow steps might exhaust SSM session limits

The fact that increasing the timeout from 60s to 120s helps partially confirms this is indeed a timeout issue - you’re giving the system more time to complete the privilege escalation process, but not solving the underlying problem.

Root Cause Analysis: Why SSM Connections Fail During Privilege Escalation

The core issue lies in how AWS SSM handles terminal sessions during privilege escalation operations. Based on analysis of AWS SSM plugin behavior and community discussions, here’s what’s happening:

SSM Plugin Limitations with Interactive Prompts

The AWS SSM plugin for Ansible is designed primarily for non-interactive operations. When Ansible attempts to run a command with privilege escalation using become: true, the underlying process tries to execute:

bash

sudo -S your_command

The -S flag tells sudo to read the password from standard input. However, when this happens through an SSM session:

The SSM session creates a pseudo-terminal (pty)
The sudo command starts and requests password input
The SSM plugin tries to handle this interaction
The stty -echo command is executed to disable password echo
The system waits for password input that never comes in an automated environment

This creates a deadlock where the command is waiting for input that the CI/CD system cannot provide.

Terminal Control Sequence Confusion

The stty -echo command is part of a sequence of terminal control operations. In normal terminal sessions, these commands work predictably. But in SSM sessions, several factors cause problems:

Terminal state management: SSM doesn’t maintain consistent terminal state across commands
Signal handling: Terminal control signals can be lost or misinterpreted
Buffering issues: Input/output buffering doesn’t work the same way as in direct terminal sessions

The AWS documentation and GitHub issue discussions confirm that the SSM plugin cannot properly handle these interactive operations, leading to the timeout failures you’re experiencing.

Why It’s Intermittent

The intermittent nature of your failures can be attributed to several factors:

Network latency variations: Small network delays can push operations just over the timeout threshold
Resource contention: EC2 instance load during deployment affects response times
SSM session state: Different session initialization states affect how the terminal control sequences are processed
Timing of parallel operations: If multiple tasks are running concurrently, they might interfere with each other’s SSM connections

Configuring AWS SSM Session Timeouts for Ansible Playbooks

While increasing timeouts provides temporary relief, proper AWS SSM session configuration is essential for stability. Let’s explore the timeout settings that can help prevent these issues:

Understanding SSM Session Timeouts

AWS SSM has two key timeout parameters that affect your Ansible connections:

Idle timeout: How long a session can remain idle before being terminated (default: 1 minute)
Maximum duration: How long a session can run in total before being terminated (default: 60 minutes)

For CI/CD environments, you typically need to adjust these values to accommodate longer-running Ansible operations.

Configuring Session Preferences

You can configure SSM session preferences both at the instance level and per-session:

At the Instance Level

Set default session preferences for all connections to the instance:

bash

# Set default idle timeout to 30 minutes (1800 seconds)
aws ssm send-command \
 --instance-ids i-1234567890abcdef0 \
 --document-name "AWS-UpdateSSMAgent" \
 --parameters '{
 "commands": ["sudo sed -i \"/SessionIdleTimeout/d\" /etc/amazon/ssm/amazon-ssm-agent.json"],
 "executionTimeout": ["300"]
 }'

Then add the idle timeout configuration:

bash

# Create or update the amazon-ssm-agent.json file
cat > /etc/amazon/ssm/amazon-ssm-agent.json << EOF
{
 "Agent": {
 "Region": "eu-west-2",
 "MaxConcurrentCommandExecution": 1,
 "S3EncryptionEnabled": false,
 "SessionIdleTimeout": 1800
 }
}
EOF

Per-Session Configuration

When establishing SSM connections through Ansible, you can specify session preferences:

yaml

# In your inventory file
[webservers]
host1.example.com ansible_connection=aws_ssm ansible_aws_ssm_region=eu-west-2
ansible_aws_ssm_idle_timeout=1800
ansible_aws_ssm_max_duration=3600

GitHub Actions Integration

For GitHub Actions workflows, you can optimize the SSM connection parameters:

yaml

- name: Run Ansible deployment via SSM
 env:
 AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: ${{ env.AWS_REGION }}
 AWS_REGION: ${{ env.AWS_REGION }}
 run: |
 # Configure SSM session settings for the deployment
 aws ssm send-command \
 --instance-ids $(cat ansible/inventory/hosts.ini | awk '/host/ {print $1}' | sed 's/,/ /g') \
 --document-name "Session-Manager-PowerShell-Module" \
 --parameters '{
 "commands": ["Set-SSMPreference -SessionIdleTimeout 1800"],
 "executionTimeout": ["300"]
 }'
 
 # Run Ansible with optimized timeout settings
 ansible-playbook \
 -i ansible/inventory/hosts.ini \
 ansible/playbooks/deploy_app.yml \
 -e "ecr_registry=${{ steps.deploy-vars.outputs.ecr-registry }}" \
 -e "ecr_repository=${{ steps.deploy-vars.outputs.ecr-repository }}" \
 -e "deploy_environment=${{ needs.determine-environment.outputs.environment }}" \
 -e "image_tag=latest" \
 -e "aws_region=eu-west-2" \
 --timeout 180 \
 -vvv

Recommended Timeout Values

For stable CI/CD deployments through SSM:

Idle timeout: Set to 1800 seconds (30 minutes) to accommodate long-running tasks
Maximum duration: Set to 3600 seconds (1 hour) for most deployment scenarios
Ansible timeout: Use 180 seconds (3 minutes) as a starting point, adjusting based on your deployment complexity

These values provide sufficient buffer for your Docker operations while preventing runaway sessions from consuming resources indefinitely.

Implementing Passwordless Sudo for Reliable CI/CD Deployments

The most reliable solution for eliminating the ‘stty -echo’ timeout issue is to implement passwordless sudo access for your Ansible operations. This approach eliminates the need for interactive password prompts entirely, bypassing the root cause of the timeout failures.

Configuring Passwordless Sudo

Here’s how to implement passwordless sudo access for your deployment user:

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Deployment User

First, ensure you have a dedicated user for deployments:

bash

# On your EC2 instances
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash ansible-deploy
sudo usermod -aG docker ansible-deploy

Step 2: Configure Sudoers File

Edit the sudoers file to grant passwordless access:

bash

# Use visudo to safely edit the sudoers file
sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/ansible-deploy

Add the following configuration:

# Allow ansible-deploy user to run all commands without password
ansible-deploy ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

# Alternatively, restrict to specific commands for better security
ansible-deploy ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/docker, /usr/bin/docker-compose, /usr/bin/systemctl, /usr/bin/apt-get, /usr/bin/yum

For even better security, you can restrict to specific Docker operations:

# Allow only Docker-related commands without password
ansible-deploy ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/docker ps, /usr/bin/docker pull, /usr/bin/docker run, /usr/bin/docker stop, /usr/bin/docker rm, /usr/bin/docker rmi, /usr/bin/docker network, /usr/bin/docker exec

Step 3: Configure Ansible to Use the Deployment User

Update your inventory to use the deployment user:

ini

# ansible/inventory/hosts.ini
[webservers]
host1.example.com ansible_user=ansible-deploy ansible_connection=aws_ssm

Step 4: Update Ansible Playbook to Remove Become Requirements

Since the deployment user will have Docker access directly, you can remove the become: true requirements:

yaml

# In your deploy_app.yml
- name: Pull Docker images from ECR
 shell: |
 echo "{{ ecr_password.stdout }}" | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin {{ ecr_registry }}
 changed_when: false
 no_log: true
 become: false # No longer needed
 retries: 3
 delay: 5
 until: ecr_password.rc == 0

- name: Stop existing containers
 docker_container:
 name: "{{ item }}"
 state: stopped
 loop:
 - ec2server_app
 - celery_worker
 - celery_beat
 - nginx
 become: false # No longer needed

Security Considerations

While passwordless sudo improves reliability, consider these security measures:

Restrict sudo access: Only allow specific commands rather than ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL
Use SSH key authentication: Ensure SSH keys are properly configured for the deployment user
Implement IP restrictions: Limit access to specific GitHub Actions IP ranges
Audit sudo usage: Regularly review sudo logs for unusual activity
Rotate credentials: Periodically rotate the deployment user’s password

Alternative: Sudoers Timeouts

If you must maintain password authentication, configure sudoers to cache credentials:

bash

# In sudoers file
Defaults:ansible-deploy timestamp_timeout=60 # Cache password for 60 minutes

This way, once the user authenticates once, sudo won’t prompt again for an hour, reducing the chance of timeout failures during long deployments.

Alternative Connection Methods: SSH vs SSM for Ansible in CI/CD

While solving the SSM issue is valuable, it’s worth considering alternative connection methods for CI/CD environments. SSH connections often provide more stability and reliability for automated deployments.

SSH Connection Advantages

Mature protocol: SSH has decades of refinement and optimization
Better error handling: More predictable behavior during connection issues
Wider tool support: Better compatibility with various tools and utilities
Direct terminal access: More reliable for interactive operations

Implementing SSH for Ansible

Here’s how to transition from SSM to SSH for your GitHub Actions deployments:

Step 1: Configure SSH Access

bash

# On EC2 instances
sudo mkdir -p /home/ansible-deploy/.ssh
sudo touch /home/ansible-deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys
sudo chmod 700 /home/ansible-deploy/.ssh
sudo chmod 600 /home/ansible-deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys
sudo chown -R ansible-deploy:ansible-deploy /home/ansible-deploy/.ssh

Step 2: Add GitHub Actions SSH Key

In your GitHub repository, add this to your workflow:

yaml

- name: Set up SSH key
 uses: webfactory/ssh-agent@v0.7.0
 with:
 ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}

- name: Add SSH key to EC2 instance
 run: |
 # This would typically be done through your infrastructure as code
 # or by having the key pre-deployed to instances
 echo "Ensure SSH key is added to authorized_keys on target instances"

Step 3: Update Ansible Inventory

ini

# ansible/inventory/hosts.ini
[webservers]
host1.example.com ansible_user=ansible-deploy ansible_connection=ssh ansible_ssh_common_args='-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null'

Step 4: Hybrid Approach: Use SSH for Become Operations

If you prefer to keep SSM for some operations but use SSH for privilege escalation:

yaml

- name: Run deployment with SSH become
 hosts: webservers
 become: true
 connection: ssh
 tasks:
 - name: Your deployment tasks
 docker_container:
 name: app
 image: "{{ ecr_registry }}/{{ ecr_repository }}:latest"
 state: started

When to Use Each Method

Scenario	Recommended Method	Why
Simple deployments with minimal privilege escalation	SSM	Easier to set up, no SSH keys needed
Complex deployments with nested sudo operations	SSH	More reliable for privilege escalation
Environments with strict networking requirements	SSM	Works through firewalls without SSH
High-security environments	SSH	More control over authentication
CI/CD pipelines	SSH	Better reliability and error handling

Hybrid SSM-SSH Configuration

You can configure Ansible to use SSM for the initial connection but SSH for privileged operations:

yaml

# ansible.cfg
[defaults]
host_key_checking = False
timeout = 180

[ssh_connection]
pipelining = True
ssh_args = -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s

ini

# ansible/inventory/hosts.ini
[webservers]
host1.example.com ansible_connection=aws_ssm ansible_ssh_common_args='-o ProxyCommand="sh -c \"aws ssm start-session --target %h --document-name AWS-StartSSHSession --parameters \'portNumber=22\'\""'

This approach gives you SSM’s networking benefits with SSH’s reliability for privilege escalation.

Optimizing Ansible Configuration for SSM Connections

Even when using SSM connections, several Ansible-specific optimizations can help prevent the ‘stty -echo’ timeout issue and improve overall reliability.

Ansible Configuration Settings

Create or update your ansible.cfg file with these optimizations:

ini

# ansible.cfg
[defaults]
# Increase timeout values for SSM connections
timeout = 180
host_key_checking = False
retry_files_enabled = False
# Enable connection caching to reduce overhead
pipelining = True
# Disable fact gathering for faster execution
gather_subset = !all,min
# Reduce verbosity in logs while keeping debug info
log_level = DEBUG

[ssh_connection]
# SSH-specific optimizations
ssh_args = -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s
pipelining = True
control_path_dir = ~/.ansible_ssh_cp

[aws_ssm]
# SSM-specific settings
region = eu-west-2
# Disable become_method checks that can cause issues
become_method = sudo

Playbook-Level Optimizations

Modify your deployment playbook to handle SSM-specific challenges:

1. Add Connection Validation

yaml

- name: Validate SSM connection before deployment
 block:
 - name: Test SSM connection
 ansible.builtin.command: /bin/true
 connection: aws_ssm
 
 - name: Check SSM agent status
 ansible.builtin.command: sudo systemctl status amazon-ssm-agent
 connection: aws_ssm
 
 - name: Verify Docker availability
 ansible.builtin.command: docker --version
 connection: aws_ssm
 become: false
 rescue:
 - name: Handle connection failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "SSM connection validation failed. Retrying..."
 failed_when: false
 
 - name: Wait and retry
 ansible.builtin.pause:
 minutes: 2
 when: ansible_failed_result is defined
 
 - name: Retry validation
 ansible.builtin.include_tasks: validate_connection.yml
 when: ansible_failed_result is defined
 retries: 3
 delay: 10

2. Optimize Docker Operations

Since Docker operations are where the become issues occur, optimize them specifically:

yaml

- name: Docker operations with error handling
 block:
 - name: Pull Docker images with retries
 docker_image:
 name: "{{ item }}"
 source: pull
 pull: yes
 loop:
 - "{{ ecr_registry }}/{{ ecr_repository }}:latest"
 - nginx:latest
 register: pull_result
 retries: 3
 delay: 5
 until: pull_result is succeeded
 
 - name: Create Docker network
 docker_network:
 name: app_network
 state: present
 
 - name: Deploy containers with health checks
 docker_container:
 name: "{{ item.name }}"
 image: "{{ item.image }}"
 state: started
 networks:
 - name: app_network
 env:
 ENVIRONMENT: "{{ deploy_environment }}"
 loop:
 - { name: ec2server_app, image: "{{ ecr_registry }}/{{ ecr_repository }}:latest" }
 - { name: nginx, image: nginx:latest }
 register: container_result
 rescue:
 - name: Handle container deployment failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Container deployment failed. Cleaning up..."
 failed_when: false
 
 - name: Clean up failed containers
 docker_container:
 name: "{{ item.name }}"
 state: absent
 loop: "{{ container_result.results | default([]) }}"
 when: item is defined and item.container is defined

3. Implement Graceful Degradation

yaml

- name: Deploy with fallback mechanisms
 block:
 - name: Primary deployment method
 include_tasks: deploy_primary.yml
 
 - name: Verify deployment
 include_tasks: verify_deployment.yml
 rescue:
 - name: Fallback to secondary method
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Primary method failed, attempting fallback..."
 failed_when: false
 
 - name: Secondary deployment
 include_tasks: deploy_fallback.yml
 when: ansible_failed_result is defined

Connection Strategy Optimizations

Implement these strategies to improve SSM connection reliability:

1. Connection Pooling

yaml

# In ansible.cfg
[ssh_connection]
control_path = ~/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-%h-%p-%r
control_path_dir = ~/.ansible/cp
persistent_command_timeout = 180

2. Retry Mechanisms

yaml

- name: Robust task execution
 block:
 - name: Execute deployment task
 your_module:
 param: value
 rescue:
 - name: Handle temporary failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Task failed temporarily. Will retry..."
 failed_when: false
 
 - name: Wait before retry
 ansible.builtin.pause:
 seconds: 30
 
 - name: Retry task
 include_tasks: "{{ ansible_failed_task.path }}"
 vars:
 ansible_failed_task: "{{ ansible_failed_result._ansible_item_result | default({}) }}"
 when: ansible_failed_result is defined
 retries: 3
 delay: 10

3. Session Management

yaml

- name: Manage SSM sessions effectively
 block:
 - name: Start long-lived session
 command: aws ssm start-session --target {{ inventory_hostname }} --document-name AWS-StartSSHSession --parameters portNumber=22
 register: session
 async: 3600
 poll: 0
 
 - name: Wait for session
 async_status:
 jid: "{{ session.ansible_job_id }}"
 register: session_check
 until: session_check.finished
 retries: 360
 delay: 10
 
 - name: Run deployment within session
 ansible.builtin.shell: your_deployment_command
 environment:
 AWS_SSM_SESSION: "{{ session_check.result.stdout }}"
 always:
 - name: Clean up session
 command: aws ssm terminate-session --session-id {{ session_check.result.session_id }}
 when: session_check.finished is defined and session_check.finished

These optimizations help mitigate the SSM connection issues while maintaining the benefits of using SSM for your CI/CD pipeline.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Persistent SSM Connection Issues

Even with all the optimizations in place, you may still encounter SSM connection issues. Here’s how to monitor and troubleshoot persistent problems:

Pre-Deployment Checks

Before running Ansible playbooks, implement these verification steps:

1. SSM Connection Status Verification

yaml

- name: Verify SSM connection readiness
 block:
 - name: Check SSM agent status
 ansible.builtin.command: sudo systemctl is-active amazon-ssm-agent
 connection: local
 register: ssm_agent_status
 failed_when: ssm_agent_status.rc != 0
 
 - name: Test SSM connectivity
 ansible.builtin.command: aws ssm describe-instance-information --instance-ids "{{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }}"
 connection: local
 register: ssm_info
 failed_when: ssm_info.instances | length == 0
 
 - name: Validate SSM session capability
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 aws ssm send-command 
 --instance-ids "{{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }}" 
 --document-name "AWS-RunShellScript" 
 --parameters 'commands=["echo \"SSM session test successful\""]' 
 --query 'Command.CommandId'
 connection: local
 register: ssm_test
 failed_when: ssm_test.rc != 0
 rescue:
 - name: Handle SSM verification failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: |
 SSM verification failed:
 - Agent status: {{ ssm_agent_status.rc }}
 - Instance info: {{ ssm_info.instances | default('None') }}
 - Test result: {{ ssm_test.rc }}
 
 Attempting recovery...
 
 1. Restarting SSM agent
 2. Reinstalling SSM agent if needed
 failed_when: false
 
 - name: Restart SSM agent
 ansible.builtin.command: sudo systemctl restart amazon-ssm-agent
 connection: local
 
 - name: Wait for SSM agent restart
 ansible.builtin.pause:
 minutes: 2
 
 - name: Reinstall SSM agent if needed
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 sudo amazon-ssm-agent -register 
 -code "{{ ssm_activation_code }}" 
 -id "{{ ssm_activation_id }}" 
 -region "{{ aws_region }}"
 connection: local
 when: ssm_agent_status.rc != 0
 vars:
 ssm_activation_code: "{{ lookup('env', 'SSM_ACTIVATION_CODE') }}"
 ssm_activation_id: "{{ lookup('env', 'SSM_ACTIVATION_ID') }}"

2. Resource Availability Check

yaml

- name: Verify system resources
 block:
 - name: Check available memory
 ansible.builtin.command: free -m
 register: memory_check
 
 - name: Check disk space
 ansible.builtin.command: df -h
 register: disk_check
 
 - name: Check CPU load
 ansible.builtin.command: uptime
 register: cpu_check
 
 - name: Validate Docker availability
 docker_container:
 name: test
 image: alpine:latest
 command: echo "Docker is working"
 state: started
 auto_remove: yes
 rescue:
 - name: Handle resource issues
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: |
 Resource issues detected:
 - Memory: {{ memory_check.stdout }}
 - Disk: {{ disk_check.stdout }}
 - CPU: {{ cpu_check.stdout }}
 
 Skipping deployment to avoid failures.
 failed_when: true

Real-time Monitoring During Deployment

Monitor your deployments in real-time to catch issues as they happen:

1. SSM Session Monitoring

yaml

- name: Monitor SSM session during deployment
 block:
 - name: Start deployment with monitoring
 async_status:
 jid: "{{ deployment_job.ansible_job_id }}"
 register: deployment_check
 until: deployment_check.finished
 retries: 3600 # 1 hour maximum
 delay: 10
 
 - name: Check SSM session health during deployment
 command: >
 aws ssm describe-sessions 
 --filters Key=Target,Values="{{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }}" 
 --query 'Sessions[?Status!=`Terminated`].Status'
 connection: local
 register: session_health
 when: not deployment_check.finished
 
 - name: Terminate unhealthy sessions
 command: >
 aws ssm terminate-session 
 --session-id "{{ item.SessionId }}"
 connection: local
 loop: "{{ session_health.sessions | default([]) }}"
 when: item.Status == 'Disconnected' or item.Status == 'TimedOut'
 async_val: 5
 poll: 0
 rescue:
 - name: Handle deployment failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Deployment failed due to SSM session issues"
 failed_when: true

2. Connection Log Analysis

yaml

- name: Analyze connection logs for patterns
 block:
 - name: Collect SSM agent logs
 ansible.builtin.command: journalctl -u amazon-ssm-agent --since "1 hour ago" --no-pager
 register: ssm_logs
 
 - name: Collect Ansible connection logs
 ansible.builtin.command: tail -n 100 /var/log/ansible/ansible.log
 register: ansible_logs
 
 - name: Search for timeout patterns
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 echo "{{ ssm_logs.stdout }}" | grep -i "timeout\|disconnect\|error" | tail -n 5
 register: timeout_patterns
 
 - name: Search for stty-related errors
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 echo "{{ ssm_logs.stdout }}" | grep -i "stty\|echo" | tail -n 5
 register: stty_errors
 rescue:
 - name: Log analysis failure
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Could not analyze connection logs"
 failed_when: false

Post-Deployment Analysis

After deployments, analyze the results to identify recurring issues:

1. Deployment Success Rate Tracking

yaml

- name: Track deployment success rates
 block:
 - name: Record deployment metrics
 local_action:
 module: file
 path: "./deployment_metrics.log"
 state: touch
 
 - name: Log deployment result
 local_action:
 module: lineinfile
 path: "./deployment_metrics.log"
 line: "{{ ansible_date_time.iso8601 }},{{ deploy_environment }},{{ inventory_hostname }},{{ deployment_result | default('FAILED') }}"
 create: yes
 when: deployment_result is defined

2. Error Pattern Recognition

yaml

- name: Identify recurring error patterns
 block:
 - name: Collect recent deployment errors
 local_action:
 module: shell
 cmd: |
 grep -i "timeout\|stty\|echo\|ssm" ./deployment_metrics.log | tail -n 20
 register: error_patterns
 
 - name: Analyze error frequency
 local_action:
 module: shell
 cmd: |
 echo "{{ error_patterns.stdout }}" | grep -o "stty\|timeout" | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr
 register: error_frequency
 
 - name: Generate error report
 local_action:
 module: copy
 content: |
 Deployment Error Analysis Report
 Generated: {{ ansible_date_time.iso8601 }}
 
 Error Frequency:
 {{ error_frequency.stdout }}
 
 Recommended Actions:
 {% if "stty" in error_frequency.stdout %}
 - Implement passwordless sudo configuration
 {% endif %}
 {% if "timeout" in error_frequency.stdout %}
 - Increase SSM session timeout values
 {% endif %}
 dest: "./error_analysis_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}.log"
 rescue:
 - name: Error analysis failed
 ansible.builtin.debug:
 msg: "Could not generate error analysis report"
 failed_when: false

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

For persistent issues, implement these advanced troubleshooting methods:

1. SSM Session Debug Mode

yaml

- name: Enable SSM session debugging
 block:
 - name: Configure SSM agent for debugging
 ansible.builtin.copy:
 content: |
 {
 "Agent": {
 "Region": "{{ aws_region }}",
 "MaxConcurrentCommandExecution": 1,
 "S3EncryptionEnabled": false,
 "SessionIdleTimeout": 1800,
 "LogLevel": "debug"
 }
 }
 dest: /etc/amazon/ssm/amazon-ssm-agent.json
 
 - name: Restart SSM agent with debugging
 ansible.builtin.systemd:
 name: amazon-ssm-agent
 state: restarted
 
 - name: Collect debug logs
 ansible.builtin.command: journalctl -u amazon-ssm-agent --since "5 minutes ago" --no-pager
 register: debug_logs

2. Network Path Analysis

yaml

- name: Analyze network path to SSM endpoints
 block:
 - name: Test connectivity to SSM endpoints
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 curl -I https://ssm.{{ aws_region }}.amazonaws.com
 register: ssm_endpoint_check
 
 - name: Test network latency
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 ping -c 3 ssm.{{ aws_region }}.amazonaws.com
 register: network_latency
 
 - name: Check DNS resolution
 ansible.builtin.command: >
 nslookup ssm.{{ aws_region }}.amazonaws.com
 register: dns_resolution

3. Resource Utilization Analysis

yaml

- name: Analyze resource utilization during deployment
 block:
 - name: Monitor memory usage
 ansible.builtin.command: free -h
 register: memory_usage
 
 - name: Monitor CPU usage
 ansible.builtin.command: top -bn1 | grep "Cpu(s)" | awk '{print $2}' | sed "s/us,//"
 register: cpu_usage
 
 - name: Monitor network connections
 ansible.builtin.command: netstat -an | grep ESTABLISHED | wc -l
 register: network_connections
 
 - name: Monitor disk I/O
 ansible.builtin.command: iostat -d -x 1 3 | tail -n 10
 register: disk_io

By implementing these monitoring and troubleshooting strategies, you’ll be able to identify and resolve persistent SSM connection issues, ensuring reliable Ansible deployments through your GitHub Actions pipeline.

Sources

AWS SSM Session Timeout Configuration — Detailed guide on configuring SSM session timeouts for CI/CD environments: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-preferences-timeout.html
AWS SSM Maximum Duration Settings — Information on setting maximum session duration limits for long-running deployments: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-preferences-max-timeout.html
SSM Plugin GitHub Issue — Community discussion on SSM plugin limitations with interactive sudo operations and potential workarounds: https://github.com/ansible-collections/amazon.aws/issues/2640
SSM Connection Status Verification — Best practices for checking SSM connection readiness before running playbooks: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76255475/wait-until-ssm-is-ready-on-instance
Ansible SSH Connection Optimization — Techniques for improving connection stability including timeout configurations and retry mechanisms: https://www.puppeteers.net/blog/fixing-ansible-playbook-hangs-caused-by-ssh-timeouts/

Conclusion

The ‘DISABLE ECHO command ‘stty -echo’ timeout’ failures in your AWS SSM Ansible connections stem from the fundamental limitation that the SSM plugin cannot handle interactive password prompts during sudo operations. This manifests as intermittent timeouts when your playbook attempts privilege escalation for Docker container management.

To resolve these issues reliably, implement a combination of solutions: first and foremost, configure passwordless sudo access for your deployment user to eliminate the need for interactive authentication; second, optimize AWS SSM session timeouts to provide sufficient buffer for long-running operations; and third, consider alternative connection methods like SSH for environments where stability is critical.

For immediate results, focus on implementing passwordless sudo by creating a dedicated deployment user with appropriate Docker permissions in the sudoers file. This approach eliminates the root cause of the timeout failures while maintaining security through controlled access. Additionally, increase your SSM session timeouts to 1800 seconds for idle connections and 3600 seconds for maximum duration to accommodate your full deployment cycle.

By following these steps and continuously monitoring your deployment success rates, you’ll achieve reliable, consistent Ansible deployments through your GitHub Actions pipeline, eliminating the frustrating intermittent failures that have been impacting your CI/CD process.

Authors

NeuroAnswers

Author

Verified by moderation

NeuroAnswers

Moderation

Troubleshooting Ansible SSM 'stty -echo' Timeout Failures

Issue Description

GitHub Actions Workflow Step

Ansible Playbook (deploy_app.yml)

Questions

Contents

Understanding the ‘stty -echo’ Timeout Issue in AWS SSM Ansible Connections

Why This Happens in GitHub Actions

Root Cause Analysis: Why SSM Connections Fail During Privilege Escalation

SSM Plugin Limitations with Interactive Prompts

Terminal Control Sequence Confusion

Why It’s Intermittent

Configuring AWS SSM Session Timeouts for Ansible Playbooks

Understanding SSM Session Timeouts

Configuring Session Preferences

At the Instance Level

Per-Session Configuration

GitHub Actions Integration

Recommended Timeout Values

Implementing Passwordless Sudo for Reliable CI/CD Deployments

Configuring Passwordless Sudo

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Deployment User

Step 2: Configure Sudoers File

Step 3: Configure Ansible to Use the Deployment User

Step 4: Update Ansible Playbook to Remove Become Requirements

Security Considerations

Alternative: Sudoers Timeouts

Alternative Connection Methods: SSH vs SSM for Ansible in CI/CD

SSH Connection Advantages

Implementing SSH for Ansible

Step 1: Configure SSH Access

Step 2: Add GitHub Actions SSH Key

Step 3: Update Ansible Inventory

Step 4: Hybrid Approach: Use SSH for Become Operations

When to Use Each Method

Hybrid SSM-SSH Configuration

Optimizing Ansible Configuration for SSM Connections

Ansible Configuration Settings

Playbook-Level Optimizations

1. Add Connection Validation

2. Optimize Docker Operations

3. Implement Graceful Degradation

Connection Strategy Optimizations

1. Connection Pooling

2. Retry Mechanisms

3. Session Management

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Persistent SSM Connection Issues

Pre-Deployment Checks

1. SSM Connection Status Verification

2. Resource Availability Check

Real-time Monitoring During Deployment

1. SSM Session Monitoring

2. Connection Log Analysis

Post-Deployment Analysis

1. Deployment Success Rate Tracking

2. Error Pattern Recognition

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

1. SSM Session Debug Mode

2. Network Path Analysis

3. Resource Utilization Analysis

Sources

Conclusion