Ansible Basics Tutorial

Author: R Zach Feeser

In the following youtube video, Zach Feeser demonstrates how to use Ansible to configure remote hosts.

Step 1 - Inventory

student@beachhead: cat futuramacrew

[planet-express]
bender	  ansible_host=10.10.2.3	ansible	ssh_user=bender
fry	      ansible host=10.10.2.4	ansible	ssh user=fry
zoidberg	ansible_host=10.10.2.5	ansible	ssh_user=zoidberg

Step 2 - Confirm SSH Connectivity to inventory hosts. It works!

student@beachhead: ssh bender@10.10.2.3

Welcome to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-119-generic x86 64)

• Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
• Management:	https://landscape.canonical.com
• Support:	https://ubuntu.com/advantage

This system has been minimized by removing packages and content that are
not required on a system that users do not log into.

To restore this content, you can run the 'unminimize' command.
Last login: Wed Aug 22 17:48:24 2018 from 10.11.2.1

Step 3 - Line by line analysis of a basic playbook

student@beachhead: cat apt-sl.yml

- hosts: planet-express 
  gather facts: True # Default is True
  tasks:
  - name: "apt Module - Install packages" 
    apt:
      name: sl
      state: present  # Change to absent to remove 
      become: True

Step 4 - Run the playbook

student@beachhead: ansible-playbook -i futuramacrew apt-sl.yml

PLAY [ planet-express ] ****************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts]  ******************************************************
ok: [bender]
ok: [fry]
ok: [zoidberg]

TASK [apt Module - Install packages] *****************************************
changed: [fry]
changed: [bender]
changed: [zoidberg]

PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************
bender       : ok=2 changed=l	unreachable=0	failed=0
fry          : ok=2 changed=l	unreachable=0	failed=0
zoidberg     : ok=2 changed=l	unreachable=G	failed=0

Step 5 - Run the playbook again

Note that this time, the apt module does not make changes. Ansible determines that the apt install has aleady been completed, so it’s not necessary to run module again.