Ansible Part 0.1 - Set up Control Host

Return to index

Set up your Control Host

Your control host is where you execute the ansible commands to run your playbook. This tutorial guides you through how to configure your control host.

NOTE: all of the below instructions are taken from various sources, the code outlined is just one way of setting up your control host and is my preferred set up.

Dependencies

This tutorial assumes you have:

• A windows machine capable of setting up WSL
• Or ability to set up a control host with a VM.
• The below instructions assume you are using Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS but other linux distributions should work with only minimal adaptation.

Quick-Start

• Assuming you have a linux machine, you can run the script in this folder to set up python and ansible-core.
  • Quickstart Script: Gist Code Snippet: bash script

Tutorial

Requirements for running Ansible

• Ansible must be run from a Linux Machine
• The control host must be capable of running python
  • Python 3.8
• The control host must be able to connect to the target hosts

Step 1 - Create a Linux Machine using WSL

There are multiple ways to create a linux machine, including:

• Create a VM in a cloud environment guide
• Use WSL on a windows machine guide
• Install a linux OS on your own hardware guide

This tutorial will cover how to create a linux machine with WSL, but the provided links can help you with alternatives.

Follow the instructions in this guide on setting up WSL: Microsoft WSL Setup guide. Use the modifications below.

1. Use the below command to install Ubuntu 24.04 on your powershell terminal

wsl --install --distribution Ubuntu-24.04

2. Set your username and password

REMEMBER YOUR PASSWORD

Once you have WSL installed and set up you can continue with the following steps.

To access your WSL environment from your laptop:

1. Open a powershell terminal
2. Type wsl and hit enter

Step 2 - Install Python Dependencies:

Install python3 and pip

sudo apt update

# Optional - Upgrade system 
# sudo apt -y upgrade

# Check if python3 is installed 
python3 -V
# you need minimum 3.8

# Install python3
sudo apt install python3 -y

# Install Pip package manager

sudo apt install -y python3-pip

Step 3 - Install Ansible (ansible-core)

Ansible can be installed as either ansible or ansible-core.

• ansible contains many additional collections that extend ansible.
• ansible-core is a lightweight installation which does not contain additional collections by default, but these can be installed as necessary.

In this guide we will install ansible-core

• For futher installation options - Extended Ansible Installation Guide

NOTE: Depending on your preferences you may wish to install python packages in a virtual environment, in this tutorial we will not use this.

NOTE: For ubuntu install ansible via pip not apt. This gives you the latest version.

# Install ansible-core
python3 -m pip install --user ansible-core
# If you need to install system wide
python3 -m pip install --user ansible-core --break-system-packages
# If you have pipx installed
pipx install ansible-core --upgrade

LEARN: Installing Roles, Collections and Python Dependencies

Depending on what you are trying to do, you can extend Ansible through additional roles and collections.

Roles and Collections

Roles are used in Ansible to group together tasks along with defined variables, templates and documents to execute a specific set of actions.

Collections are used to group together related tasks, roles, modules and plugins which are used to execute related sets of actions.

Roles and collections can be installed through ansible-galaxy.

• Ansible User Guide

NOTE: most roles are defined as part of a collection, but you can install individual roles as well.

# Install a collection 
ansible-galaxy collection install <collection-name>
# e.g.
ansible-galaxy collection install azure.azcollection

# Install a role 
ansible-galaxy install <role-name>
# e.g.
ansible-galaxy install geerlingguy.apache

Python Dependencies

Some ansible modules and plugins have python dependencies which need to be installed.

Typically the module guidance will detail what needs to be installed.

• e.g. This collection has specific python dependencies and provides guidance on how to install them: Azure Collection

# Example install commands for the Azure collection
# With pip
sudo pip3 install -r ~/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/azure/azcollection/requirements.txt

# With pipx
pipx runpip ansible install -r ~/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/azure/azcollection/requirements.txt

Requirements Files

If you have a playbook which has different dependencies on roles and collections then you can define them in a requirements file and install them all by referencing the file.

1. Define the requirements in requirements.yml

---
# EXAMPLE Requirements.yml file
collections:
    # from galaxy
    - name: kubernetes.core
    version: ">=3.2.0"
    - name: ansible.posix
    version: ">=1.5.4"
    - name: community.general
    version: ">=9.1.0"

roles:
  # Install a role from Ansible Galaxy.
  - name: geerlingguy.java
    version: "1.9.6" # note that ranges are not supported for roles

1. Install using ansible-galaxy

   ansible-galaxy install -r ./requirements.yml