CLI Reference

Global Flags

These flags are available on all commands:

Flag	Description
`--debug`	Enable debug logging
`--dry-run`	Perform dry runs without making changes
`--config-file <path>`	Configuration file path

parallax play

Execute an Ansible-compatible playbook.

parallax play [flags] <playbook>

Core Options

Flag	Default	Description
`-i, --inventory <source>`		Inventory source (file or comma-separated hosts)
`-C, --check`	`false`	Dry-run mode (no changes made)
`--start-at-task <name>`		Begin execution at a specific task
`-l, --limit <pattern>`		Further restrict hosts to a pattern
`-e, --extra-vars <vars>`		Set additional variables (key=value, @file, or JSON)
`--forks <n>`	`5`	Number of parallel processes
`-D, --diff`	`false`	Show file differences when changing files
`--json`	`false`	Output as JSON
`--callback <name>`	`default`	Callback plugin (default, minimal, json, timer, profile_tasks)

Authentication

Flag	Default	Description
`--private-key <file>`		SSH private key file
`--ask-pass`	`false`	Prompt for connection password
`-b, --become`	`false`	Enable privilege escalation
`--become-user <user>`	`root`	Privilege escalation user
`--become-method <method>`	`sudo`	Privilege escalation method (sudo, su, doas, pfexec)
`--ask-become-pass`	`false`	Prompt for privilege escalation password

Flag	Description
`--tag <tag>`	Only run tasks with this tag (repeatable)
`--tags <tags>`	Only run tasks with these tags (comma-separated)
`--skip-tag <tag>`	Skip tasks with this tag (repeatable)
`--skip-tags <tags>`	Skip tasks with these tags (comma-separated)

SSH Configuration

Flag	Default	Description
`--ssh-user <user>`		Default SSH user
`--ssh-port <port>`	`22`	Default SSH port
`--ssh-timeout <duration>`	`30s`	Connection timeout
`--ssh-retries <n>`	`3`	Number of connection retries
`--ssh-retry-interval <duration>`	`5s`	Interval between retries
`--ssh-keepalive`	`true`	Enable SSH keepalive
`--ssh-keepalive-interval <duration>`	`30s`	Keepalive interval
`--use-agent`	`true`	Use SSH agent for authentication
`--agent-socket <path>`		Path to SSH agent socket
`--known-hosts <file>`		Path to known_hosts file
`--strict-host-checking`	`true`	Enable strict host key verification

Bastion / Jump Host

Flag	Default	Description
`--bastion-host <host>`		Bastion host address
`--bastion-port <port>`	`22`	Bastion SSH port
`--bastion-user <user>`		Bastion user (defaults to –ssh-user)
`--bastion-key <file>`		Bastion-specific SSH private key

Vault

Flag	Description
`--vault-id <label@source>`	Vault identity (repeatable)
`--vault-password-file <file>`	File containing vault password
`--ask-vault-pass`	Prompt for vault password

Connection Pooling

Flag	Default	Description
`--connection-pooling`	`false`	Enable SSH connection pooling
`--pool-max-connections <n>`	`20`	Maximum pooled connections
`--pool-max-idle <n>`	`5`	Maximum idle connections
`--pool-max-idle-time <duration>`	`30m`	Maximum idle time
`--pool-max-lifetime <duration>`	`2h`	Maximum connection lifetime
`--pool-acquire-timeout <duration>`	`30s`	Connection acquire timeout
`--pool-health-check-interval <duration>`	`5m`	Health check interval
`--pool-enable-health-check`	`true`	Enable health checks
`--pool-stats`		Display pool statistics (`show`)

Module Caching

Flag	Default	Description
`--cache`	`true`	Enable module binary caching
`--cache-dir <path>`	`~/.parallax/module-cache`	Cache directory
`--cache-info <action>`		Display cache info (`stats`, `list`)
`--cache-clear`	`false`	Clear all cached modules
`--cache-clear-module <name>`		Clear cache for specific module

Precompilation

Flag	Default	Description
`--precompile`	`false`	Precompile common modules before execution
`--precompile-background`	`false`	Background precompilation
`--precompile-modules <modules>`		Specific modules to precompile
`--precompile-concurrency <n>`		Parallel precompilation processes
`--precompile-current-platform`	`false`	Only precompile for current platform
`--precompile-quiet`	`false`	Suppress precompilation output
`--precompile-usage-stats`		Show module usage stats (`show`)
`--precompile-recommended`		Show recommended modules (`show`)

Facts Gathering

Flag	Default	Description
`--facts-parallel`	`true`	Parallel fact gathering
`--facts-concurrency <n>`	`10`	Max concurrent fact gatherers
`--facts-cache`	`true`	Enable facts caching
`--facts-cache-ttl <duration>`	`30m`	Facts cache TTL
`--facts-timeout <duration>`	`30s`	Gather timeout
`--facts-subset <subset>`	`all`	Facts subset to gather
`--facts-filter <pattern>`	`*`	Filter pattern
`--facts-directory <path>`	`/etc/ansible/facts.d`	Custom facts directory
`--facts-info`		Cache info (`stats`)
`--facts-cache-clear`	`false`	Clear facts cache
`--facts-incremental`	`true`	Incremental fact gathering
`--facts-incremental-threshold <n>`	`0.25`	Change threshold for re-gather
`--facts-force-full`	`false`	Force full fact gathering
`--facts-compression`	`true`	Enable facts compression
`--facts-compression-algorithm <alg>`	`gzip`	Compression algorithm
`--facts-compression-level <n>`	`6`	Compression level (1-9)
`--facts-auto-compression`	`true`	Auto-select compression
`--facts-compression-threshold <bytes>`	`1024`	Minimum size for compression

Template Caching

Flag	Default	Description
`--template-cache`	`true`	Enable template caching
`--template-cache-size <n>`	`1000`	Maximum cached templates
`--template-cache-max-age <duration>`	`1h`	Cache max age
`--template-cache-eviction-interval <duration>`	`5m`	Eviction interval
`--template-cache-info`		Display cache info (`stats`, `list`)
`--template-cache-clear`	`false`	Clear template cache
`--template-cache-metrics`	`true`	Enable metrics

Resource Management

Flag	Default	Description
`--resource-management`	`false`	Enable resource management
`--module-timeout <duration>`		Global module execution timeout
`--max-memory <mb>`		Maximum memory in MB
`--max-cpu <percent>`		Maximum CPU usage percentage
`--max-execution-time <duration>`		Maximum total execution time
`--max-open-files <n>`		Maximum open file descriptors

Validation

Flag	Default	Description
`--validate-features`	`false`	Validate Ansible compatibility
`--strict-validation`	`false`	Treat unsupported features as errors
`--ignore-unsupported <feature>`		Ignore specific unsupported features (repeatable)
`--show-supported-modules`		Show supported modules (`show`)
`--show-unsupported-modules`		Show unsupported modules (`show`)
`--validation-enabled`	`true`	Enable module argument validation
`--custom-validation`	`true`	Enable custom validation
`--validation-level <level>`		Level (basic, standard, strict, pedantic)
`--validation-testing`	`false`	Enable testing framework
`--custom-validation-timeout <duration>`	`10s`	Validation timeout
`--validation-security-scan`	`true`	Security scanning
`--validation-show-warnings`	`true`	Show warnings

Debug

Flag	Default	Description
`--debug-enabled`	`false`	Enhanced debug mode
`--debug-level <level>`	`none`	Debug level (none, basic, verbose, trace)
`--debug-profiling`	`false`	Performance profiling
`--debug-tracing`	`false`	Execution tracing
`--debug-report`	`false`	Output debug report at end
`--debug-output <file>`		Debug output file

Plugins

Flag	Default	Description
`--plugin-dir <path>`		Additional plugin directories (repeatable)
`--preload-plugins`	`false`	Preload plugins at startup
`--plugin-timeout <duration>`	`30s`	Plugin execution timeout

Subcommands

parallax play list <playbook> – List tasks in playbook
parallax play exec <playbook> – Execute playbook (alternate form)

parallax validate

Validate playbook and inventory syntax without executing.

parallax validate [flags]

Flag	Description
`-p, --playbook <path>`	Path to playbook file
`-i, --inventory <source>`	Inventory file or host list

parallax vault

Ansible Vault compatible encryption/decryption operations.

parallax vault <subcommand> [flags]

Persistent Vault Flags

Flag	Description
`--vault-id <label@source>`	Vault identity (repeatable)
`--vault-password-file <file>`	File containing vault password
`--ask-vault-pass`	Prompt for vault password

vault encrypt

parallax vault encrypt <file>

Encrypt a file with Ansible Vault.

vault decrypt

parallax vault decrypt <file>

Decrypt a vault-encrypted file.

vault view

parallax vault view <file>

View the contents of a vault-encrypted file without decrypting it to disk.

vault edit

parallax vault edit <file>

Edit a vault-encrypted file in your $EDITOR.

vault encrypt_string

parallax vault encrypt_string [flags] <string>

Flag	Description
`--name <var>`	Variable name for YAML output

vault rekey

parallax vault rekey [flags] <files...>

Re-encrypt files with a new vault password.

Flag	Description
`--new-vault-password-file <file>`	File with the new password
`--new-vault-id <label@source>`	New vault identity

parallax doc

Module documentation commands.

parallax doc <subcommand> [flags]

doc show

parallax doc show <module>

Display documentation for a specific module.

doc list

parallax doc list

List all available modules.

doc generate

parallax doc generate [flags]

Generate static module documentation.

Flag	Default	Description
`--output-dir <path>`	`./docs/modules`	Output directory
`--format <format>`	`markdown`	Output format (`markdown`, `hugo`)

parallax plugins

Manage Parallax plugins.

parallax plugins <subcommand> [flags]

plugins init

parallax plugins init <type> <name> [flags]

Create a new plugin project skeleton.

Flag	Default	Description
`--module-path <path>`	`github.com/user/<name>`	Go module path override

Supported types: module, callback, connection, filter, inventory, lookup, strategy

plugins add

parallax plugins add <source> [flags]

Install a plugin from a git repository.

Flag	Default	Description
`--version <version>`	latest	Version to install
`--type <type>`		Plugin type
`--name <name>`		Override derived plugin name
`--no-build`	`false`	Clone only, skip building

plugins list

parallax plugins list [flags]

Flag	Description
`--type <type>`	Filter by plugin type

plugins remove

parallax plugins remove <name>

Remove an installed plugin.

plugins upgrade

parallax plugins upgrade <name> [flags]

Flag	Default	Description
`--version <version>`	latest	Target version

parallax tool

Tool-specific subcommands.

tool version

parallax tool version

Display version information including build commit.

parallax upgrade

Self-update the Parallax binary.

parallax upgrade [flags]

Aliases: self-update

Flag	Default	Description
`-v, --version <version>`	latest	Version to upgrade to
`--list`	`false`	List available versions
`--notes`	`false`	Show release notes for a version