OP SIG: Learn Ansible Thread

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Learn by doing. NoM Ansible Training #1

1. Install Ansible

On Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository --yes --update ppa:ansible/ansible
sudo apt install ansible

Reference (other methods and operating system)
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/installation_guide/installation_distros.html
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/installation_guide/intro_installation.html

2. What is Idempotence?

# Try the following commands
mkdir testdirectory1
mkdir testdirectory1
# What happens?

# Clean Up
rm -r testdirectory1

# Try a slightly different command
mkdir -p testdirectory1
mkdir -p testdirectory1
# What happens?

3. Do it via Ansible

Create a file called playbook.yaml with the following contents.
Note that we are creating two different directories.

- name: test-playbook
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
  - name: Creates directory 1
    ansible.builtin.file:
      path: testdirectory1
      state: directory
  - name: Creates directory 2
    ansible.builtin.file:
      path: testdirectory2
      state: directory

Then run the following command twice.

ansible-playbook playbook.yaml
ansible-playbook playbook.yaml
# What happens?

# Delete only one
rm -r testdirectory1

# Again
ansible-playbook playbook.yaml

Reference:
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/builtin/file_module.html