Introduction to Ansible¶

What is Ansible?¶

To quote the Ansible Community Documentation,

Quote

Ansible provides open-source automation that reduces complexity and runs everywhere. Using Ansible lets you automate virtually any task. Here are some common use cases for Ansible:

Eliminate repetition and simplify workflows
Manage and maintain system configuration
Continuously deploy complex software
Perform zero-downtime rolling updates

Ansible uses simple, human-readable scripts called playbooks to automate your tasks. You declare the desired state of a local or remote system in your playbook. Ansible ensures that the system remains in that state.
As automation technology, Ansible is designed around the following principles:

Agent-less architecture
Simplicity
Scalability and flexibility
Idempotence and predictability

And it does exactly that. You configure what you want to be done, and Ansible does it.
If you made it right, reruns don't break anything, but may correct unintentional drifts.

Installing Ansible¶

To install the Ansible tool, use the following command:

Ubuntu / Debian
```
sudo apt install ansible -y
```
Fedora / Red Hat
```
sudo dnf install ansible -y
```
Arch-based
```
sudo pacman -S ansible
```

Installing collections¶

To install the extra collections/modules needed for this stack, use the following command:

ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml

Common commands¶

Create, edit and view a vault: ansible-vault {create/edit/view} secrets.yml
Run the playbook: ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini play.yml --ask-vault-pass