The Ansible Cheat Sheet

A cheat sheet for Ansible, the automation tool.

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The Ansible Cheat Sheet

Installing Ansible

On Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ansible
# On Red Hat-based systems (Fedora, CentOS)
sudo yum install ansible

Or use pip:

pip install ansible

Or use pipx:

pipx install ansible

On macOS

Use Homebrew:

brew install ansible

On Windows

Ansible can be run from inside a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) instance. First, ensure that WSL is installed, then install Ansible in the Linux distribution of your choice, following the Linux installation steps.

Configuring Ansible

Default Ansible configuration settings can be overridden using environment variables. The same variables can be used to override settings in the ansible.cfg file in ini format. Typically, environment variables are in capital letters, while the corresponding configuration settings are in lowercase.

Environment Variable	ansible.cfg Variable	ansible.cfg Section	Description
`ANSIBLE_CONFIG`	N/A	N/A	Specifies the path to the Ansible configuration file.
`ANSIBLE_DEBUG`	`debug`	`[defaults]`	Enables or disables debug output. Set to `True` for verbose debug information.
`ANSIBLE_INVENTORY`	`inventory`	`[defaults]`	Path to the inventory file or script.
`ANSIBLE_NOCOLOR`	`nocolor`	`[defaults]`	Disables colored output in Ansible.
`ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR`	`force_color`	`[defaults]`	Forces colored output even when not in a TTY.
`ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING`	`host_key_checking`	`[defaults]`	Enables or disables SSH host key checking.
`ANSIBLE_REMOTE_USER`	`remote_user`	`[defaults]`	Default remote user for SSH connections.
`ANSIBLE_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE`	`private_key_file`	`[defaults]`	Specifies the private key file for SSH.
`ANSIBLE_TIMEOUT`	`timeout`	`[defaults]`	Connection timeout duration in seconds.
`ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH`	`roles_path`	`[defaults]`	Specifies the path to Ansible roles.
`ANSIBLE_LIBRARY`	`library`	`[defaults]`	Path to custom module directories.
`ANSIBLE_RETRY_FILES_ENABLED`	`retry_files_enabled`	`[defaults]`	Enables or disables the creation of retry files.
`ANSIBLE_VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE`	`vault_password_file`	`[defaults]`	Path to the Ansible vault password file.
`ANSIBLE_VAULT_IDENTITY_LIST`	`vault_identity_list`	`[defaults]`	List of vault identities for decryption.
`ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK`	`stdout_callback`	`[defaults]`	Sets the default callback plugin for output formatting.
`ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_WHITELIST`	`callback_whitelist`	`[defaults]`	List of callback plugins allowed to execute.
`ANSIBLE_FORKS`	`forks`	`[defaults]`	Number of parallel processes to use.
`ANSIBLE_ASK_VAULT_PASS`	`ask_vault_pass`	`[defaults]`	Determines whether Ansible prompts for the vault password by default.
`ANSIBLE_TRANSPORT`	`transport`	`[defaults]`	Specifies the connection type (e.g., SSH, WinRM).
`ANSIBLE_GATHERING`	`gathering`	`[defaults]`	Configures the default fact gathering behavior.
`ANSIBLE_GATHER_SUBSET`	`gather_subset`	`[defaults]`	Specifies a subset of facts to gather.
`ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS`	`ssh_args`	`[ssh_connection]`	Extra arguments to pass to the SSH command.
`ANSIBLE_SSH_RETRIES`	`retries`	`[ssh_connection]`	Specifies the number of attempts Ansible will make to connect via SSH before giving up.
`ANSIBLE_BECOME`	`become`	`[privilege_escalation]`	Enables or disables privilege escalation. The default is `False`.
`ANSIBLE_BECOME_METHOD`	`become_method`	`[privilege_escalation]`	The method used for privilege escalation, the default is `sudo`.
`ANSIBLE_BECOME_USER`	`become_user`	`[privilege_escalation]`	The user to become on privilege escalation, the default is `root`.
`ANSIBLE_BECOME_ASK_PASS`	`become_ask_pass`	`[privilege_escalation]`	Prompts for a password for privilege escalation, the default is `False`.
`ANSIBLE_GALAXY_SERVER`	`server`	`[galaxy]`	Specifies the default Galaxy server from which roles are installed.
`ANSIBLE_INVENTORY_ENABLED`	`inventory_enabled`	`[inventory]`	Specifies the enabled inventory plugins. The default is `[‘host_list’, ‘script’, ‘auto’, ‘yaml’, ‘ini’, ‘toml’]`.

For more detailed information on these configurations, consult the official Ansible documentation.

Inventory

Setting Up the Inventory File (INI)

[web]
192.168.1.2 ansible_ssh_user=ubuntu

[db]
192.168.1.3 ansible_ssh_user=root

Setting Up the Inventory File (YAML)

all:
  hosts:
    192.168.1.2:
      ansible_ssh_user: ubuntu
    192.168.1.3:
      ansible_ssh_user: root

Replace the IP addresses and ansible_ssh_user with your server details.

Ansible Host Variables

Variable	Description
`ansible_connection`	The type of connection to the host. The default is 'smart'. It supports SSH (`smart`, `ssh`, `paramiko`) and other types.
`ansible_host`	The hostname or IP to connect to, if different from the alias.
`ansible_port`	The connection port number. The default is 22 for SSH.
`ansible_user`	The username for connecting to the host.
`ansible_password`	The password for authentication (use vault for security).
`ansible_ssh_private_key_file`	The private key file for SSH, useful for multiple keys.
`ansible_ssh_common_args`	The common arguments appended to sftp, scp, ssh commands.
`ansible_sftp_extra_args`	The extra arguments for the sftp command line.
`ansible_scp_extra_args`	The extra arguments for the scp command line.
`ansible_ssh_extra_args`	The extra arguments for the ssh command line.
`ansible_ssh_pipelining`	Whether to use SSH pipelining, overrides ansible.cfg setting.
`ansible_ssh_executable`	Overrides the default system ssh, added in version 2.2.
`ansible_become`	Forces privilege escalation, equivalent to `ansible_sudo` or `ansible_su`.
`ansible_become_method`	Sets the privilege escalation method.
`ansible_become_user`	Sets the user for privilege escalation.
`ansible_become_password`	Sets the privilege escalation password (use vault for security).
`ansible_become_exe`	Sets the executable for the escalation method.
`ansible_become_flags`	Flags for the selected escalation method, can be set in ansible.cfg.
`ansible_shell_type`	The shell type of the target system. The default is Bourne (sh) compatible.
`ansible_python_interpreter`	The Python interpreter path on the target host.
`ansible_*_interpreter`	The generic interpreter setting, works like `ansible_python_interpreter`. New in version 2.1.
`ansible_shell_executable`	The shell executable Ansible uses on the target, overrides ansible.cfg.

This table provides a summary of the host-specific variables in Ansible. For detailed information and examples, refer to the official Ansible documentation.

Testing Your Setup

To ensure that Ansible can communicate with your managed nodes, use the ping module:

ansible all -m ping -i inventory

Playbook Structure

---
- name: Playbook Name
  hosts: all
  become: yes
  become_user: root
  become_method: sudo
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  vars_files:
    - vars.yml
  tasks:
    - name: Task Name
      command: echo "Hello World!"

Playbook Keywords

Keyword	Description
`name`	The name of the playbook or task.
`hosts`	The hosts or host groups to run the playbook on.
`become`	Whether to run tasks with privilege escalation.
`become_user`	The user to become when using privilege escalation.
`become_method`	The method to use for privilege escalation (e.g., sudo).
`remote_user`	The user to connect as on the remote host.
`vars`	The variables to be used in the playbook.
`vars_files`	The files containing variables to be used in the playbook.
`tasks`	The list of tasks to be executed.
`handlers`	The list of handlers to be executed upon notification.
`pre_tasks`	The list of tasks to be executed before roles.
`post_tasks`	The list of tasks to be executed after the main tasks.
`roles`	The list of roles to be included and executed.
`serial`	The number of hosts to process in each playbook run.
`max_fail_percentage`	The maximum failure percentage allowed to continue the playbook.
`any_errors_fatal`	Whether any error is enough to stop the playbook.
`ignore_errors`	Whether to ignore errors on a task.
`gather_facts`	Whether to gather facts at the beginning of the playbook.
`no_log`	Whether to disable logging for a task.
`force_handlers`	Whether to run handlers even if a task fails.
`tags`	The tags associated with tasks or roles for selective running.
`check_mode`	Whether to run the playbook in check mode (dry run).
`diff`	Whether to show differences in tasks where supported.
`connection`	The connection type to use (e.g., `ssh`, `local`, `winrm`).
`timeout`	The connection timeout duration in seconds.
`gather_subset`	The subset of facts to gather (Possible values: `all`, `min`, `hardware`, `network`, `virtual`, `ohai`, and `facter`).

For detailed information and examples, refer to the official Ansible documentation.

Common Modules

Running a Command

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m command -a "uptime"

Playbook:

---
- name: Run a Command
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Run a Command
      command: uptime

Running a Shell Command

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m shell -a "echo $TERM"

Playbook:

---
- name: Run a Shell Command
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Run a Shell Command
      shell: echo $TERM

Running a Raw Command

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m raw -a "echo $TERM"

Playbook:

---
- name: Run a Raw Command
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Run a Raw Command
      raw: echo $TERM

Copying a File

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m copy -a "src=/etc/hosts dest=/tmp/hosts"

Playbook:

---
- name: Copy a File
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Copy a File
      copy:
        src: /etc/hosts
        dest: /tmp/hosts

Installing a Package

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m apt -a "name=nginx state=present"

Playbook:

---
- name: Install a Package
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install a Package
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present

Restarting a Service

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m service -a "name=nginx state=restarted"

Playbook:

---
- name: Restart a Service
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Restart a Service
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: restarted

Copying a File with Permissions

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m copy -a "src=/etc/hosts dest=/tmp/hosts owner=root group=root mode=0644"

Playbook:

---
- name: Copy a File with Permissions
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Copy a File with Permissions
      copy:
        src: /etc/hosts
        dest: /tmp/hosts
        owner: root
        group: root
        mode: 0644

Copying a File with Permissions and Context

Ad-hoc:

ansible all -m copy -a "src=/etc/hosts dest=/tmp/hosts owner=root group=root mode=0644 seuser=system_u serole=object_r"

Playbook:

---
- name: Copy a File with Permissions and Context
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Copy a File with Permissions and Context
      copy:
        src: /etc/hosts
        dest: /tmp/hosts
        owner: root
        group: root
        mode: 0644
        seuser: system_u
        serole: object_r

Playbooks

Running a Playbook

ansible-playbook playbook.yml

Running a Playbook with Inventory

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -i inventory

Running a Playbook with Inventory and Limit

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -i inventory --limit "web"

Running a Playbook with Limit

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --limit "web"

Running a Playbook with Tags

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --tags "install,configure"

Running a Playbook with Skip Tags

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --skip-tags "configure"

Running a Playbook with Extra Variables

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --extra-vars "my_var=123"

Running a Playbook with a Vault Password File

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --vault-password-file ~/.vault_pass.txt

Running a Playbook with Ask Vault Password

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-vault-pass

Running a Playbook with Ask Sudo Password

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-become-pass

Running a Playbook with Ask Pass

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --ask-pass

Running a Playbook in Check Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --check

Running a Playbook in Diff Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --diff

Running a Playbook in Verbose Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -v

Running a Playbook in Extra Verbose Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vv

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Verbose Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvv

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Extra Verbose Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvvv

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Extra Extra Verbose Mode

ansible-playbook playbook.yml -vvvvv

Running a Playbook with Forks

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --forks 50

Running a Playbook with Timeout

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --timeout 30

Jinja2

Using Jinja2

---
- name: Using Jinja2
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Using Jinja2
      debug:
        msg: "{{ my_var }}"

Using Jinja2 with Filters

---
- name: Using Jinja2 with Filters
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Using Jinja2 with Filters
      debug:
        msg: "{{ my_var | string }}"

Jinja2 Template

---
- name: Jinja2 Template
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Jinja2 Template
      template:
        src: template.j2
        dest: /tmp/template.txt

Jinja2 Template with Variables

---
- name: Jinja2 Template with Variables
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Jinja2 Template with Variables
      template:
        src: template.j2
        dest: /tmp/template.txt

The "template.j2" file:

Hello World! This is my_var: {{ my_var }}

Templates with Loops

---
- name: Templates with Loops
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_list:
      - 123
      - 456
      - 789
  tasks:
    - name: Templates with Loops
      template:
        src: template.j2
        dest: /tmp/template.txt

The "template.j2" file:

{% for item in my_list %}
{{ item }}
{% endfor %}

Templates with Conditionals

---
- name: Templates with Conditionals
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Templates with Conditionals
      template:
        src: template.j2
        dest: /tmp/template.txt

The "template.j2" file:

{% if my_var == 123 %}
Hello World!
{% endif %}

Templates with Filters

---
- name: Templates with Filters
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Templates with Filters
      template:
        src: template.j2
        dest: /tmp/template.txt

The "template.j2" file:

Hello, World! This is my_var: {{ my_var | string }}

Host Patterns

Pattern	Description
`all`	All hosts in the inventory.
`*`	Same as `all`.
`group1`	All hosts in the group `group1`.
`group1:group2`	All hosts in the groups `group1` and `group2`.
`group1:&group2`	All hosts in both `group1` and `group2`.
`group1:!group2`	All hosts in `group1` that are not in `group2`.
`group1:&group2:!group3`	All hosts in both `group1` and `group2` that are not in `group3`.
`group1:group2:&group3`	All hosts in both `group1` and `group2` that are also in `group3`.
`group1:group2:!group3:&group4`	All hosts in both `group1` and `group2` that are not in `group3` and are also in `group4`.

Debugging

Syntax Check a Playbook

ansible-playbook playbook.yml --syntax-check

Check if Hosts Are Reachable

ansible all -m ping

Check if Hosts Are Reachable with SSH

ansible all -m ping -c ssh

Check if Hosts Are Reachable with WinRM

ansible all -m ping -c winrm

Check if Hosts Are Reachable Locally

ansible all -m ping -c local

Verbose Mode

ansible all -m ping -v
ansible all -m ping -vv
ansible all -m ping -vvv
ansible all -m ping -vvvv
ansible all -m ping -vvvvv

Debug Mode

ANSIBLE_DEBUG=1 ansible all -m ping

Capture Output

---
- name: Capture Output
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Capture Output
      command: echo "Hello World!"
      register: output
    - debug:
        var: output

Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields

---
- name: Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields
      command: echo "Hello World!"
      register: output
    - debug:
        var: output.stdout

Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields with Jinja2

---
- name: Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields with Jinja2
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields with Jinja2
      command: echo "Hello World!"
      register: output
    - debug:
        msg: "{{ output.stdout }}"

Gathering Facts

Gathering Facts for All Hosts

ansible all -m setup

Gathering Facts for a Specific Host

ansible all -m setup -a "filter=ansible_eth*"

Gathering Facts for a Specific Host and Saving to a File

ansible all -m setup -a "filter=ansible_eth*" --tree /tmp/facts

Variables

Setting a Variable

---
- name: Setting a Variable
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: Setting a Variable
      debug:
        var: my_var
    - name: Setting a Variable (debug)
      debug:
        msg: "{{ my_var }}"

Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines

---
- name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: >
      Hello
      World!
  tasks:
    - name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines
      debug:
        var: my_var
    - name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines (debug)
      debug:
        msg: "{{ my_var }}"

Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines and Indentation

---
- name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines and Indentation
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: |
      Hello
      World!
        This is indented.
  tasks:
    - name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines and Indentation
      debug:
        var: my_var
    - name: Setting a Variable with Multiple Lines and Indentation (debug)
      debug:
        msg: "{{ my_var }}"

Conditionals

When

---
- name: When
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: When
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      when: my_var == 123

When with Multiple Conditions

---
- name: When with Multiple Conditions
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_var: 123
  tasks:
    - name: When with Multiple Conditions
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      when:
        - my_var == 123
        - my_var != 456

Loops

Looping Over a List

---
- name: Looping Over a List
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_list:
      - 123
      - 456
      - 789
  tasks:
    - name: Looping Over a List
      debug:
        msg: "{{ item }}"
      loop: "{{ my_list }}"

Looping Over a Dictionary

---
- name: Looping Over a Dictionary
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_dict:
      key1: 123
      key2: 456
      key3: 789
  tasks:
    - name: Looping Over a Dictionary
      debug:
        msg: "{{ item.key }}: {{ item.value }}"
      loop: "{{ my_dict | dict2items }}"

Looping Over a Dictionary Using "with_dict"

---
- name: Looping Over a Dictionary with Nested Items
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_dict:
      key1:
        - 123
        - 456
        - 789
      key2:
        - 123
        - 456
        - 789
      key3:
        - 123
        - 456
        - 789
  tasks:
    - name: Looping Over a Dictionary with Nested Items
      debug:
        msg: "Key: {{ item.key }}, Values: {{ item.value }}"
      with_dict: "{{ my_dict }}"

Looping Over a List with "with_items"

---
- name: Looping Over a List with with_items
  hosts: localhost
  vars:
    my_list:
      - 123
      - 456
      - 789
  tasks:
    - name: Looping Over a List with with_items
      debug:
        msg: "{{ item }}"
      with_items: "{{ my_list }}"

Handlers

Using Handlers

---
- name: Using Handlers
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Using Handlers
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      notify: My Handler
  handlers:
    - name: My Handler
      debug:
        msg: "This is my handler."

Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks

---
- name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      notify: My Handler
    - name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      notify: My Handler
  handlers:
    - name: My Handler
      debug:
        msg: "This is my handler."

Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks and Different Handlers

---
- name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks and Different Handlers
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks and Different Handlers
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      notify: My Handler 1
    - name: Using Handlers with Multiple Tasks and Different Handlers
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"
      notify: My Handler 2
  handlers:
    - name: My Handler 1
      debug:
        msg: "This is my handler 1."
    - name: My Handler 2
      debug:
        msg: "This is my handler 2."

Conditional Execution

Using "ignore_errors" to Continue Execution Even After Failures

---
- name: Using ignore_errors to Continue Execution Even After Failures
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Using ignore_errors to Continue Execution Even After Failures
      command: /bin/false
      ignore_errors: yes
    - name: Using ignore_errors to Continue Execution Even After Failures
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"

Using "changed_when" to Control When a Task Is Considered Changed

---
- name: Using changed_when to Control When a Task Is Considered Changed
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Using changed_when to Control When a Task Is Considered Changed
      command: /bin/false
      register: output
      changed_when: output.rc != 2
    - name: Using changed_when to Control When a Task Is Considered Changed
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"

Using "failed_when" to Control When a Task Is Considered Failed

---
- name: Example playbook with failed_when
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Example playbook with failed_when (will fail)
      command: /bin/false
      register: output
      # The normal exit code for /bin/false is 1             
      failed_when: output.rc == 2
    - name: Example playbook with failed_when
      debug:
        msg: "Hello World!"

Failing a Playbook with "fail"

---
- name: Failing a Playbook with fail
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Failing a Playbook with fail
      fail:
        msg: "This task will always fail."

Vault

Editing an Encrypted File

ansible-vault edit file.yml

Updating Encryption Password

ansible-vault rekey file.yml

Viewing an Encrypted File

ansible-vault view file.yml

Encrypting a File

ansible-vault encrypt file.yml

Encrypting a File with a Password File

ansible-vault encrypt file.yml --vault-password-file ~/.vault_pass.txt

Decrypting a File

ansible-vault decrypt file.yml

Encrypting a String

ansible-vault encrypt_string "Hello World!" --name "my_var"

Encrypting a String with a Password File

ansible-vault encrypt_string "Hello World!" --name "my_var" --vault-password-file ~/.vault_pass.txt

Asynchronous Tasks

Running a Task Asynchronously

---
- name: Running a Task Asynchronously
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Running a Task Asynchronously
      command: /bin/bash -c "for i in `seq 1 5`; do echo $i; sleep 1; done"
      async: 60
      poll: 0

Checking the Status of Asynchronous Tasks

---
- name: Rolling Update with Timeout
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Start the application update (async)
      command: /bin/bash -c "for i in `seq 1 5`; do echo $i; sleep 1; done"
      async: 60
      poll: 0 
      register: update_result

    - name: Wait for the update to complete
      async_status:
        jid: "{{ update_result.ansible_job_id }}"
      register: job_result
      until: job_result.finished
      retries: 60  # Check the status every 10 seconds (60 times)

    - name: Check if the update was successful
      debug:
        msg: "Update successful"
      when: job_result.finished

Roles

Creating a Role

ansible-galaxy init my_role

Using a Role

---
- name: Using a Role
  hosts: localhost
  roles:
    - my_role

Using a Role with Variables

---
- name: Using a Role with Variables
  hosts: localhost
  roles:
    - role: my_role
      vars:
        my_var: 123

Using a Role with Multiple Variables

---
- name: Using a Role with Multiple Variables
  hosts: localhost
  roles:
    - role: my_role
      vars:
        my_var1: 123
        my_var2: 456

Using a Role with Tags

---
- name: Using a Role with Tags
  hosts: localhost
  roles:
    - role: my_role
      tags:
        - install
        - configure

Ansible Galaxy

Searching for Roles

ansible-galaxy search nginx

Installing a Role

ansible-galaxy install nginx

Installing a Role with a Specific Version

ansible-galaxy install elastic.elasticsearch,7.15.0

Ansible Collections

Installing a Collection

ansible-galaxy collection install community.general

Installing a Collection with a Specific Version

ansible-galaxy collection install community.general:8.1.0

Installing a Collection from a File

ansible-galaxy collection install community.general-8.1.0.tar.gz

Installing a Collection from a Directory

ansible-galaxy collection install community.general-8.1.0/

Resources About Ansible

Official Ansible Documentation

Ansible Documentation

Ansible Blogs and Articles

Ansible Community and Forums

Ansible GitHub Repository

Ansible Videos

Ansible YouTube Channel

Ansible Tools

ansible/awx: AWX provides a web-based user interface, REST API, and task engine built on top of Ansible. It is one of the upstream projects for the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.
ansible-semaphore/semaphore: A modern UI for Ansible.
ansible/molecule: Molecule aids in the development and testing of Ansible content: collections, playbooks, and roles.
dev-sec/ansible-collection-hardening: This Ansible collection provides battle-tested hardening for Linux, SSH, nginx, MySQL.
ansible/ansible-lint: ansible-lint checks playbooks for practices and behavior that could potentially be improved and can fix some of the most common ones for you.
fboender/ansible-cmdb: Generate a host overview from ansible fact gathering output.
willthames/ansible-inventory-grapher: ansible-inventory-grapher creates a dot file suitable for use by graphviz.
ansible/ansible-lint: ansible-lint checks playbooks for practices and behavior that could potentially be improved and can fix some of the most common ones for you.
groupon/ansible-silo: Ansible in a self-contained environment via Docker.
pearofducks/ansible-vim: A vim plugin for syntax highlighting Ansible's common filetypes.
nickjj/ansigenome: A tool to help you gather information and manage your Ansible roles.
ansible-community/ara: ARA Records Ansible and makes it easier to understand and troubleshoot.
mitogen-hq/mitogen: Distributed self-replicating programs in Python (Mitogen for Ansible is a completely redesigned UNIX connection layer and module runtime for Ansible.)
Phansible: Phansible - generate Vagrant + Ansible dev environments for PHP.
cidrblock/td4a: Template designer for automation.
adammck/terraform-inventory: Terraform State → Ansible Dynamic Inventory.
ansible-community/ansible-bender: This tool bends containers using Ansible playbooks and turns them into container images.
pixiu-io/kubez-ansible: To provide quick deployment tools for Kubernetes clusters and cloud-native applications by Ansible.
apenella/go-ansible: Go-ansible is a Go package that enables the execution of ansible-playbook or ansible commands directly from Golang applications.
ansible/ansible-runner: A tool and Python library that helps when interfacing with Ansible directly or as part of another system, whether that be through a container image interface, as a standalone tool, or as a Python module that can be imported.

IDE Extensions

VSCode

Ansible extension by Red Hat - This extension provides comprehensive Ansible language support, including syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and integrated linting.
YAML Support - This extension offers enhanced YAML language support with features like schema validation, auto-completion, and hover documentation.
ansible-vault - This extension facilitates the encryption and decryption of Ansible Vault files directly within VSCode, streamlining the process of managing sensitive data.

PyCharm

Ansible support - This plugin provides support for Ansible directly in PyCharm with features such as playbook run configurations, syntax highlighting, and completion for Ansible keywords.

Sublime

Ansible - This package enhances Sublime Text with Ansible syntax highlighting, code snippets, and completions for a better development experience.
GitGutter - This package shows information about files in a git repository, including changes and line modifications directly in the editor.
SideBarEnhancements - This package provides enhancements to the operations on the Sidebar of Files and Folders, improving file management in Sublime Text.
Sublime Linter - This package is a code-linting framework for Sublime Text 3, helping to identify syntax errors and stylistic issues.
Pretty YAML - This package prettifies YAML for Sublime Text 2 and 3, making YAML files easier to read and edit.
Yamllint - This package is a Sublime wrapper around yamllint, integrating YAML linting into Sublime Text.

Vim

Ansible-vim - This is a Vim plugin for syntax highlighting Ansible's common file types.

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The Ansible Cheat Sheet

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Table of Contents

The Ansible Cheat Sheet

Installing Ansible

On Linux

On macOS

On Windows

Configuring Ansible

Inventory

Setting Up the Inventory File (INI)

Setting Up the Inventory File (YAML)

Ansible Host Variables

Testing Your Setup

Playbook Structure

Playbook Keywords

Common Modules

Running a Command

Running a Shell Command

Running a Raw Command

Copying a File

Installing a Package

Restarting a Service

Copying a File with Permissions

Copying a File with Permissions and Context

Playbooks

Running a Playbook

Running a Playbook with Inventory

Running a Playbook with Inventory and Limit

Running a Playbook with Limit

Running a Playbook with Tags

Running a Playbook with Skip Tags

Running a Playbook with Extra Variables

Running a Playbook with a Vault Password File

Running a Playbook with Ask Vault Password

Running a Playbook with Ask Sudo Password

Running a Playbook with Ask Pass

Running a Playbook in Check Mode

Running a Playbook in Diff Mode

Running a Playbook in Verbose Mode

Running a Playbook in Extra Verbose Mode

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Verbose Mode

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Extra Verbose Mode

Running a Playbook in Extra Extra Extra Extra Verbose Mode

Running a Playbook with Forks

Running a Playbook with Timeout

Jinja2

Using Jinja2

Using Jinja2 with Filters

Jinja2 Template

Jinja2 Template with Variables

Templates with Loops

Templates with Conditionals

Templates with Filters

Host Patterns

Debugging

Syntax Check a Playbook

Check if Hosts Are Reachable

Check if Hosts Are Reachable with SSH

Check if Hosts Are Reachable with WinRM

Check if Hosts Are Reachable Locally

Verbose Mode

Debug Mode

Capture Output

Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields

Capture Output and Show Only Specific Fields with Jinja2

Gathering Facts

Gathering Facts for All Hosts

Gathering Facts for a Specific Host

Gathering Facts for a Specific Host and Saving to a File