[Python] Manage python2 host from python3 ansible control node

We have new control node, which has python 3.12 and ansible 2.18.

[user@ansible-controller ~]$ ansible --version
ansible [core 2.18.5]
config file = None
configured module search path = ['/home/user/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
ansible python module location = /opt/ansible-venv/lib64/python3.12/site-packages/ansible
ansible collection location = /home/user/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
python version = 3.12.8 (main, Dec 9 2024, 15:25:01) [GCC 8.5.0 20210514 (Red Hat 8.5.0-22)] (/opt/ansible-venv/bin/python3.12)
jinja version = 3.1.6
libyaml = True


We set password less access for the target host

[user@ansible-controller ~]$ ssh 10.10.10.2
Last login: Mon May 12 12:29:04 2025 from 10.10.10.1
$ python --version
Python 2.7.5
$ which python
/usr/bin/python
$ exit
Connection to 10.10.10.2 closed.


10.10.10.1 is control node which has python3 and 10.10.10.2 is target host which has python2.

When we try to ping this host, it gives error.

[user@ansible-controller ~]$ ansible -i 10.10.10.2, all -m ping
[WARNING]: No python interpreters found for host 10.10.10.2 (tried ['python3.13', 'python3.12', 'python3.11', 'python3.10', 'python3.9', 'python3.8',
'/usr/bin/python3', 'python3'])
10.10.10.2 | FAILED! => {
"ansible_facts": {
"discovered_interpreter_python": "/usr/bin/python3"
},
"changed": false,
"module_stderr": "Shared connection to 10.10.10.2 closed.\r\n",
"module_stdout": "/bin/sh: /usr/bin/python3: No such file or directory\r\n",
"msg": "The module failed to execute correctly, you probably need to set the interpreter.\nSee stdout/stderr for the exact error",
"rc": 127
}
[user@ansible-controller ~]$ ansible -i 10.10.10.2, all -m ping -e "ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/bin/python"
An exception occurred during task execution. To see the full traceback, use -vvv. The error user: SyntaxError: invalid syntax
10.10.10.2 | FAILED! => {
"changed": false,
"module_stderr": "Shared connection to 10.10.10.2 closed.\r\n",
"module_stdout": "Traceback (most recent call last):\r\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1747033142.7797244-89837-73942475506869/AnsiballZ_ping.py\", line 107, in <module>\r\n _ansiballz_main()\r\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1747033142.7797244-89837-73942475506869/AnsiballZ_ping.py\", line 99, in _ansiballz_main\r\n invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)\r\n File \"/home/user/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1747033142.7797244-89837-73942475506869/AnsiballZ_ping.py\", line 44, in invoke_module\r\n from ansible.module_utils import basic\r\n File \"/tmp/ansible_ping_payload_F4fKJc/ansible_ping_payload.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\", line 17\r\n msg=f\"ansible-core requires a minimum of Python version {'.'.join(map(str, _PY_MIN))}. Current version: {''.join(sys.version.splitlines())}\",\r\n ^\r\nSyntaxError: invalid syntax\r\n",
"msg": "MODULE FAILURE: No start of json char found\nSee stdout/stderr for the exact error",
"rc": 1
}


its giving SyntaxError: invalid syntax, I have doubt, that this version of ansible has syntax error in code or its due to python3 -> python2 combination?

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