Sharing Roles with Ansible Galaxy

1. Introduction

In this lesson, we will explore how to share Ansible roles using Ansible Galaxy, a community hub for sharing Ansible content. This enables users to easily reuse roles, enhancing collaboration and efficiency in automation tasks.

2. Key Concepts

2.1 What is Ansible Galaxy?

Ansible Galaxy is a repository for Ansible roles, allowing users to share and reuse roles in a standardized way. It provides a command-line tool and a web interface for discovering and managing roles.

2.2 What are Roles?

Roles are a way to organize Ansible playbooks and other files. A role is essentially a structured way to group tasks, variables, files, templates, and modules. They promote reuse and modularity in playbooks.

3. Creating Roles

To create a role, you can use the Ansible Galaxy command to generate a basic structure:

ansible-galaxy init my_role

This command creates a directory with the following structure:


my_role/
├── tasks/
│   └── main.yml
├── handlers/
│   └── main.yml
├── libraries/
├── module_utils/
├── plugins/
│   ├── action/
│   ├── lookup/
│   └── ...
├── vars/
│   └── main.yml
├── defaults/
│   └── main.yml
├── files/
├── templates/
└── meta/
    └── main.yml

You can start adding your tasks in tasks/main.yml and define other necessary components as needed.

Once you have created your role, you can share it on Ansible Galaxy by following these steps:

Ensure you have a Galaxy account and are logged in using:

ansible-galaxy login

Package your role:

ansible-galaxy collection build

Upload your role to Galaxy:

ansible-galaxy role publish my_role.tar.gz

After publishing, your role will be available for others to use and contribute to!

5. Best Practices

Note: Always document your roles clearly. Include a README file explaining usage, variables, and examples to help users understand how to implement your role.

Keep roles modular and focused on a single task.
Use meaningful names for roles.
Follow the Ansible community style guide for consistency.
Version your roles appropriately to manage changes.

6. FAQ

What is the benefit of using Ansible Galaxy?

Ansible Galaxy allows users to share and reuse roles, fostering collaboration and reducing redundancy in playbook development.

Can I customize roles shared by others?

Yes, you can fork and customize roles from Galaxy for your specific needs.

How do I find roles on Ansible Galaxy?

You can search for roles on the Ansible Galaxy website or use the ansible-galaxy search command.