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+.. _interpreter_discovery:
+
+Interpreter Discovery
+=====================
+
+Most Ansible modules that execute under a POSIX environment require a Python
+interpreter on the target host. Unless configured otherwise, Ansible will
+attempt to discover a suitable Python interpreter on each target host
+the first time a Python module is executed for that host.
+
+To control the discovery behavior:
+
+* for individual hosts and groups, use the ``ansible_python_interpreter`` inventory variable
+* globally, use the ``interpreter_python`` key in the ``[defaults]`` section of ``ansible.cfg``
+
+Use one of the following values:
+
+auto_legacy :
+  Detects the target OS platform, distribution, and version, then consults a
+  table listing the correct Python interpreter and path for each
+  platform/distribution/version. If an entry is found, and ``/usr/bin/python`` is absent, uses the discovered interpreter (and path). If an entry
+  is found, and ``/usr/bin/python`` is present, uses ``/usr/bin/python``
+  and issues a warning.
+  This exception provides temporary compatibility with previous versions of
+  Ansible that always defaulted to ``/usr/bin/python``, so if you have
+  installed Python and other dependencies at ``/usr/bin/python`` on some hosts,
+  Ansible will find and use them with this setting.
+  If no entry is found, or the listed Python is not present on the
+  target host, searches a list of common Python interpreter
+  paths and uses the first one found; also issues a warning that future
+  installation of another Python interpreter could alter the one chosen.
+
+auto : (default in 2.12)
+  Detects the target OS platform, distribution, and version, then consults a
+  table listing the correct Python interpreter and path for each
+  platform/distribution/version. If an entry is found, uses the discovered
+  interpreter.
+  If no entry is found, or the listed Python is not present on the
+  target host, searches a list of common Python interpreter
+  paths and uses the first one found; also issues a warning that future
+  installation of another Python interpreter could alter the one chosen.
+
+auto_legacy_silent
+  Same as ``auto_legacy``, but does not issue warnings.
+
+auto_silent
+  Same as ``auto``, but does not issue warnings.
+
+You can still set ``ansible_python_interpreter`` to a specific path at any
+variable level (for example, in host_vars, in vars files, in playbooks, and so on).
+Setting a specific path completely disables automatic interpreter discovery; Ansible always uses the path specified.