The `community.docker collection <https://galaxy.ansible.com/community/docker>`_ offers several modules and plugins for orchestrating Docker containers and Docker Swarm.
Most of the modules and plugins in community.docker require the `Docker SDK for Python <https://docker-py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>`_. The SDK needs to be installed on the machines where the modules and plugins are executed, and for the Python version(s) with which the modules and plugins are executed. You can use the :ref:`community.general.python_requirements_info module <ansible_collections.community.general.python_requirements_info_module>` to make sure that the Docker SDK for Python is installed on the correct machine and for the Python version used by Ansible.
Note that plugins (inventory plugins and connection plugins) are always executed in the context of Ansible itself. If you use a plugin that requires the Docker SDK for Python, you need to install it on the machine running ``ansible`` or ``ansible-playbook`` and for the same Python interpreter used by Ansible. To see which Python is used, run ``ansible --version``.
For Python 2.7, you need to use a version between 2.0.0 and 4.4.4 since the Python package for Docker removed support for Python 2.7 on 5.0.0. You can install the specific version of the Docker SDK for Python as follows:
..code-block:: bash
$ pip install 'docker==4.4.4'
For Python 2.6, you need a version before 2.0.0. For these versions, the SDK was called ``docker-py``, so you need to install it as follows:
Please install only one of ``docker`` or ``docker-py``. Installing both will result in a broken installation. If this happens, Ansible will detect it and inform you about it. If that happens, you must uninstall both and reinstall the correct version.
You can connect to a local or remote API using parameters passed to each task or by setting environment variables. The order of precedence is command line parameters and then environment variables. If neither a command line option nor an environment variable is found, Ansible uses the default value provided under `Parameters`_.
The URL or Unix socket path used to connect to the Docker API. Defaults to ``unix://var/run/docker.sock``. To connect to a remote host, provide the TCP connection string (for example: ``tcp://192.0.2.23:2376``). If TLS is used to encrypt the connection to the API, then the module will automatically replace 'tcp' in the connection URL with 'https'.
You can also control how the plugins and modules connect to the Docker API by setting the following environment variables.
For plugins, they have to be set for the environment Ansible itself runs in. For modules, they have to be set for the environment the modules are executed in. For modules running on remote machines, the environment variables have to be set on that machine for the user used to execute the modules with.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker connection plugin <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_connection>` uses the Docker CLI utility to connect to Docker containers and execute modules in them. It essentially wraps ``docker exec`` and ``docker cp``. This connection plugin is supported by the :ref:`ansible.posix.synchronize module <ansible_collections.ansible.posix.synchronize_module>`.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_api connection plugin <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_api_connection>` talks directly to the Docker daemon to connect to Docker containers and execute modules in them.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_containers inventory plugin <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_containers_inventory>` allows you to dynamically add Docker containers from a Docker Daemon to your Ansible inventory. See :ref:`dynamic_inventory` for details on dynamic inventories.
The `docker inventory script <https://github.com/ansible-community/contrib-scripts/blob/main/inventory/docker.py>`_ is deprecated. Please use the inventory plugin instead. The inventory plugin has several compatibility options. If you need to collect Docker containers from multiple Docker daemons, you need to add every Docker daemon as an individual inventory source.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_host_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_host_info_module>` allows you to retrieve information on a Docker daemon, such as all containers, images, volumes, networks and so on.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_login module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_login_module>` allows you to log in and out of a remote registry, such as Docker Hub or a private registry. It provides similar functionality to the ``docker login`` and ``docker logout`` CLI commands.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_prune module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_prune_module>` allows you to prune no longer needed containers, images, volumes and so on. It provides similar functionality to the ``docker prune`` CLI command.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_image module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_image_module>` provides full control over images, including: build, pull, push, tag and remove.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_image_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_image_info_module>` allows you to list and inspect images.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_network module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_network_module>` provides full control over Docker networks.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_network_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_network_info_module>` allows you to inspect Docker networks.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_volume_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_volume_info_module>` provides full control over Docker volumes.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_container module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_container_module>` manages the container lifecycle by providing the ability to create, update, stop, start and destroy a Docker container.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_container_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_container_info_module>` allows you to inspect a Docker container.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_machine inventory plugin <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_machine_inventory>` allows you to dynamically add Docker Machine hosts to your Ansible inventory.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_stack module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_stack_module>` module allows you to control Docker stacks. Information on stacks can be retrieved by the :ref:`community.docker.docker_stack_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_stack_info_module>`, and information on stack tasks can be retrieved by the :ref:`community.docker.docker_stack_task_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_stack_task_info_module>`.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_swarm inventory plugin <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_swarm_inventory>` allows you to dynamically add all Docker Swarm nodes to your Ansible inventory.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_swarm module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_swarm_module>` allows you to globally configure Docker Swarm manager nodes to join and leave swarms, and to change the Docker Swarm configuration.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_swarm_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_swarm_info_module>` allows you to retrieve information on Docker Swarm.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_node_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_node_info_module>` allows you to retrieve information on Docker Swarm nodes.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_config module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_config_module>` allows you to create and modify Docker Swarm configs.
The :ref:`community.docker.docker_secret module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_secret_module>` allows you to create and modify Docker Swarm secrets.
Docker Swarm services can be created and updated with the :ref:`community.docker.docker_swarm_service module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_swarm_service_module>`, and information on them can be queried by the :ref:`community.docker.docker_swarm_service_info module <ansible_collections.community.docker.docker_swarm_service_info_module>`.
Still using Dockerfile to build images? Check out `ansible-bender <https://github.com/ansible-community/ansible-bender>`_, and start building images from your Ansible playbooks.
Use `Ansible Operator <https://learn.openshift.com/ansibleop/ansible-operator-overview/>`_ to launch your docker-compose file on `OpenShift <https://www.okd.io/>`_. Go from an app on your laptop to a fully scalable app in the cloud with Kubernetes in just a few moments.
