Ansible Bootstrap

This repository contains a modular Ansible setup for bootstrapping Linux systems with development tools and utilities. The architecture uses configuration-driven playbooks that share a common package management system. See this sample playbook for an example. This is intended to allow me to easily play around with different Linux repos while keeping my tools and configs consistent. To be utilized with my dotfiles repo and Chezmoi.

Quick Start

1. Run the bootstrap script to install and configure Ansible:

   curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrbasa/ansible-bootstrap/main/bootstrap-ansible.sh | bash

2. Install common productivity tools:

   ansible-pull -U https://github.com/mrbasa/ansible-bootstrap.git playbook_common-tools.yml -K -l localhost

3. Install common development tools:

   ansible-pull -U https://github.com/mrbasa/ansible-bootstrap.git playbook_dev-tools-common.yml -K -l localhost

Architecture Overview

The system uses a modular approach where each playbook focuses on a specific category of tools:

• playbook_ansible-dependencies.yml: Foundation playbook that installs required Ansible collections and sets up AUR support for Arch Linux
• playbook_package-managers.yml: Shared package installation engine that handles multiple package managers (OS packages, pip, cargo, npm, AUR, flatpak)
• playbook_common-tools.yml: Installs common productivity tools and utilities that are useful across all development environments
• playbook_dev-tools.yml: Installs development-specific tools, language servers, and programming environments using a configuration-driven approach

Available Playbooks

Common Tools (playbook_common-tools.yml)

Installs essential productivity utilities including modern command-line tools, file managers, text editors, and system monitoring tools. This playbook focuses on tools that enhance daily workflow efficiency.

Development Tools (playbook_dev-tools.yml)

Sets up a comprehensive development environment with language support, build tools, container runtimes, and infrastructure tooling.

Key Features

• Simplified Error Handling: Package manager failures stop execution, but individual package failures continue with detailed reporting
• Multi-Platform Support: Works across Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/RHEL, and Arch Linux distributions
• AUR Integration: Automatic setup of AUR package management for Arch Linux
• Clean Output: Simplified messaging that shows what's being installed without overwhelming detail
• Idempotent Operations: Safe to run multiple times - only makes changes when needed

Usage Examples

Install only common tools:

ansible-pull -U https://github.com/mrbasa/ansible-bootstrap.git playbook_common-tools.yml -K -l localhost

Install development tools:

ansible-pull -U https://github.com/mrbasa/ansible-bootstrap.git playbook_dev-tools-common.yml -K -l localhost

Extending the System

New playbooks can be created by following the same pattern:

1. Define packages in the playbook's vars section using the standardized package structure
2. Import playbook_package-managers.yml to handle installation
3. Add any post-installation tasks specific to those packages

This modular approach allows for easy creation of specialized playbooks for different tool sets while maintaining consistency and reusing the robust package management foundation.

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter warnings about host patterns, these are safe to ignore and don't affect functionality
• Use the -v flag for more detailed output when debugging issues
• Failed package installations are logged to ~/ansible_package_failures.log for review
• Playbooks can be safely re-run to complete any failed installations