Added use_libssh option in netconf to support netconf with ssh-python

docs/ansible.netcommon.netconf_connection.rst

@@ -358,6 +358,32 @@ Parameters
                         <div>Can be configured from the CLI via the <code>--user</code> or <code>-u</code> options.</div>
                 </td>
             </tr>
+            <tr>
+                <td colspan="1">
+                    <div class="ansibleOptionAnchor" id="parameter-"></div>
+                    <b>use_libssh</b>
+                    <a class="ansibleOptionLink" href="#parameter-" title="Permalink to this option"></a>
+                    <div style="font-size: small">
+                        <span style="color: purple">boolean</span>
+                    </div>
+                </td>
+                <td>
+                        <ul style="margin: 0; padding: 0"><b>Choices:</b>
+                                    <li>no</li>
+                                    <li><div style="color: blue"><b>yes</b>&nbsp;&larr;</div></li>
+                        </ul>
+                </td>
+                    <td>
+                            <div> ini entries:
+                                    <p>[defaults]<br>netconf_libssh = yes</p>
+                            </div>
+                                <div>env:ANSIBLE_NETCONF_LIBSSH</div>
+                                <div>var: ansible_netconf_libssh</div>
+                    </td>
+                <td>
+                        <div>specifies weather to use libssh for netconf connection or not</div>
+                </td>
+            </tr>
     </table>
     <br/>
 

plugins/connection/netconf.py

@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@
     - name: ANSIBLE_REMOTE_PORT
     vars:
     - name: ansible_port
+  use_libssh:
+    type: bool
+    description:
+    - specifies weather to use libssh for netconf connection or not
+    default: true
+    ini:
+    - section: defaults
+      key: netconf_libssh
+    env:
+    - name: ANSIBLE_NETCONF_LIBSSH
+    vars:
+    - name: ansible_netconf_libssh
   network_os:
     description:
     - Configures the device platform network operating system.  This value is used
@@ -314,6 +326,8 @@ def _connect(self):
         self.queue_message("log", "ssh connection done, starting ncclient")
 
         allow_agent = True
+        use_libssh = self.get_option("use_libssh")
+
         if self._play_context.password is not None:
             allow_agent = False
         setattr(self._play_context, "allow_agent", allow_agent)
@@ -378,12 +392,21 @@ def _connect(self):
                 password=self._play_context.password,
                 key_filename=self.key_filename,
                 hostkey_verify=self.get_option("host_key_checking"),
-                look_for_keys=self.get_option("look_for_keys"),
                 device_params=device_params,
                 allow_agent=self._play_context.allow_agent,
                 timeout=self.get_option("persistent_connect_timeout"),
-                ssh_config=self._ssh_config,
             )
+            # use_libssh option is only supported with ncclient >= 0.7.0
+            if use_libssh:
+                self.queue_message(
+                    "warning",
+                    "ncclient >= 0.7.0 does not support ssh_config file option while using libssh as a transport",
+                )
+                params["use_libssh"] = use_libssh
+            else:
+                params["look_for_keys"] = self.get_option("look_for_keys")
+                params["ssh_config"] = self._ssh_config
+
             # sock is only supported by ncclient >= 0.6.10, and will error if
             # included on older versions. We check the version in
             # _get_proxy_command, so if this returns a value, the version is

requirements.txt

@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ paramiko
 xmltodict
 grpcio
 protobuf
+ssh-python