Getting started with Ansible 13 - Adding Users & Bootstrapping

Summary

In this 13th video of the series, the host explores user management with Ansible, creating a user named 'simone' and automating tasks with an SSH key and sudoers file. The video demonstrates how to configure an Ansible user for automated background tasks, showcasing the setup of a bootstrap playbook for initial server configuration. The host also discusses the importance of SSH key management and the process of synchronizing changes with GitHub for version control.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is part of a series on using Ansible for automation, with this being the 13th installment.
• 📝 The presenter is working through a YAML file to demonstrate user management with Ansible, adding a new section for pre-test tasks.
• 👤 A new user named 'simone' is created as part of the demonstration, with a backstory related to a movie and the concept of a simulated actress.
• 🔑 The 'simone' user is added to the 'root' group and given an SSH key for password-less login, enhancing automation capabilities.
• 🛠️ Ansible's 'user' module is used to manage user creation, and the 'authorized_key' module is introduced for managing SSH keys.
• 📁 A 'sudoers' file is created to allow the 'simone' user to execute commands with sudo privileges without a password.
• 🔄 The video shows the process of running the Ansible playbook and verifying the changes on the servers, such as the addition of the new user.
• 🔒 The importance of securing the Ansible key and maintaining good SSH key hygiene is highlighted for safe automation.
• 📝 A 'bootstrap' playbook is introduced to set up a fresh server with the necessary initial configurations for Ansible to function.
• 🔄 The presenter discusses the use of 'changed_when' to control what is considered a change in the playbook, aiming for cleaner output.
• 🔧 The video concludes with the synchronization of changes with GitHub, emphasizing the importance of version control in the workflow.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the 13th video in the series?

The main topic of the 13th video is user management with Ansible.

What is the purpose of creating a user named 'simone' in the video?

The user 'simone' is created as a system service user that can run in the background and carry out tasks, with the name being an inside joke referencing a movie about a simulated actress.

Why is the 'become' and 'sudo' option used in the Ansible playbook?

The 'become' and 'sudo' options are used to make changes to the systems that require administrative privileges.

What is the significance of adding the 'always' tag in the playbook?

The 'always' tag ensures that the tagged task is always executed regardless of the context in which the playbook is run.

How does the video demonstrate checking the '/etc/passwd' file?

The video demonstrates checking the '/etc/passwd' file to show the most recently added users and to confirm the addition of the 'simone' user after running the playbook.

What is the role of the 'authorized_key' module in the video?

The 'authorized_key' module is used to add an SSH key for the 'simone' user, allowing key-based authentication without a password.

Why is the 'copy' module used to create a 'sudoer_simone' file?

The 'copy' module is used to create a 'sudoer_simone' file in the '/etc/sudoers.d/' directory to grant the 'simone' user passwordless sudo access.

What is the purpose of the bootstrap playbook mentioned in the video?

The bootstrap playbook is used to set up a fresh server with the initial configuration, including the 'simone' user, SSH key, and sudoers file, preparing it for Ansible provisioning.

How does the video suggest simplifying playbook runs after setting up the 'simone' user?

The video suggests updating the Ansible config file to set the 'remote_user' to 'simone' and利用izing the 'simone' user's passwordless sudo access to run playbooks without needing to provide a become password.

What is the importance of managing SSH keys for the 'simone' user as shown in the video?

Managing SSH keys for the 'simone' user is important for securing the Ansible automation process and allowing the 'simone' user to authenticate for Ansible tasks without a password.