As you may have already read, Ansible manages Linux/Unix machines using SSH by default. You access BSD machines the same way.
As you may have already read, Ansible manages Linux/Unix machines using SSH by default. Ansible handles BSD machines in the same manner.
Depending on your control machine ansible will try to default to using OpenSSH, this works fine in the case of ssh keys but when using ssh passwords it relies on sshpass, most
versions of sshpass do not deal well with BSD login prompts, in these cases we recommend changing the transport to paramiko. You can do this in ansible.cfg globaly or set it as
an inventory/group/host var::
Depending on your control machine, Ansible will try to default to using OpenSSH. This works fine when using SSH keys to authenticate, but when using SSH passwords, Ansible relies on sshpass. Most
versions of sshpass do not deal well with BSD login prompts, so in these cases we recommend changing the transport to paramiko. You can do this in ansible.cfg globaly or set it as
an inventory/group/host variable::
[freebsd]
mybsdhost1 ansible_connection=paramiko
Ansible is agentless by default, but it needs some software installed on the target machines, mainly python 2.4 or higher with an included json library (standard in 2.5 and above).
Without python you can still use the ``raw`` module to execute commands but this is very limited, still it can be used to bootstrap ansible on BSDs.
Ansible is agentless by default, but it needs some software installed on the target machines, mainly Python 2.4 or higher with an included json library (which is standard in Python 2.5 and above).
Without python you can still use the ``raw`` module to execute commands. This module is very limited, however it can be used to bootstrap Ansible on BSDs.
@ -27,16 +27,16 @@ Without python you can still use the ``raw`` module to execute commands but this
Bootstrapping BSD
`````````````````
For ansible to effectively manage your machine, we need to install python + a json library, in this case we are using python 2.7 which already has json included.
From your control machine you can just execute the following on most versions of FreeBSD::
For Ansible to effectively manage your machine, we need to install Python along with a json library, in this case we are using Python 2.7 which already has json included.
On your control machine you can simply execute the following for most versions of FreeBSD::
ansible -m raw -a “pkg_add -r python27” mybsdhost1
Once this is done you can now use other ansible modules aside from ``raw``.
Once this is done you can now use other Ansible modules aside from the ``raw`` module.
..note::
This example uses pkg_add, you should be able to subsitute for the appropriate tool for your BSD,
also you might need to lookup the exact package name you need.
This example uses pkg_add, you should be able to substitute for the appropriate tool for your BSD,
also you might need to lookup the exact package name you need.
.._python_location:
@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ Once this is done you can now use other ansible modules aside from ``raw``.
Setting python interpreter
``````````````````````````
To support the multitude of Unix/Linux OSs and distributions ansible cannot rely on the environment or ``env`` to find the correct python, by default modules point at ``/usr/bin/python`` as this is the most common location. On the BSDs you cannot rely on this so you should tell ansible where python is located, through the ``ansible_python_interpreter`` inventory variable::
To support the multitude of Unix/Linux OSs and distributions, Ansible cannot rely on the environment or ``env`` to find the correct Python. By default, modules point at ``/usr/bin/python`` as this is the most common location. On the BSDs you cannot rely on this so you should tell ansible where python is located, through the ``ansible_python_interpreter`` inventory variable::
If you use plugins other than those included with ansible you might need to set the same for ``bash``, ``perl`` or ``ruby``, depending on how the plugin was written::
If you use plugins other than those included with Ansible you might need to set similar variables for ``bash``, ``perl`` or ``ruby``, depending on how the plugin was written::
[freebsd:vars]
ansible_python_interpreter=/usr/local/bin/python
@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ If you use plugins other than those included with ansible you might need to set
What modules are available
``````````````````````````
Most of the Ansible modules in core Ansible are written for a combination of Linux/Unix machines and arbitrary web services, most should work fine on the BSDs with the exception of those that are for linux specific technologies (i.e. lvg).
Most of the core Ansible modules are written for a combination of Linux/Unix machines and arbitrary web services; most should work fine on the BSDs with the exception of those that are aimed at Linux specific technologies (i.e. lvg).
You can also use a BSD as the control machine
@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ It should be as simple as installing the Ansible package or follow the ``pip`` o
BSD Facts
`````````
Ansible gathers facts from the BSDs as it would from Linux machines, but since the data, names and structures can be different for network, disks and other devices expect the output to be different, but familiar to a BSD admin.
Ansible gathers facts from the BSDs as it would from Linux machines, but since the data, names and structures can be different for network, disks and other devices, one should expect the output to be different, but still familiar to a BSD administrator.
.._bsd_contributions:
@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ Ansible gathers facts from the BSDs as it would from Linux machines, but since t
BSD Contributions
`````````````````
BSD support is important for Ansible, though the majority of our contributors use and target Linux we have a active BSD community and will strive to be as BSD friendly as possible.
Report any issues you see with BSD incompatibilities, even better if you can submit a pull request with the fix!
BSD support is important for Ansible. Even though the majority of our contributors use and target Linux we have an active BSD community and will strive to be as BSD friendly as possible.
Report any issues you see with BSD incompatibilities, even better to submit a pull request with the fix!
Scott Radvan
9 years ago