Watch: Mastering Ansible Config: Essential Commands and Actions

Discover how to use ansible-config commands to manage Ansible configurations. List, dump, view, and initialize settings efficiently with step-by-step examples.

Introduction

Ansible is a powerful automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. It simplifies the management of complex infrastructures by allowing users to define tasks in easy-to-understand YAML files. However, to harness its full potential, it’s essential to understand and manage its configuration effectively. This is where the ansible-config command comes into play. In this article, we'll explore the ansible-config tool, its various actions, and how to use it to manage Ansible's configuration.

What is `ansible-config`?

ansible-config is a command-line utility provided by Ansible that allows users to view, manipulate, and manage Ansible's configuration settings. It provides a way to interact with Ansible's configuration files, making it easier to customize and troubleshoot Ansible's behavior.

Links

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/cli/ansible-config.html

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html

Configuration Files

Ansible looks for configuration files in specific locations; their precedence determines which one is used. Here are the two main configuration files:

/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg: This is the system-wide configuration file used if present. It applies to all users.

~/.ansible.cfg: This is the user-specific configuration file and takes precedence over the system-wide configuration. It allows users to customize Ansible's behavior for their specific needs.

ansible.cfg: This is the current directory setting for the project.

Environment Variables

Ansible allows you to override default configuration settings using environment variables. The primary environment variable for configuring Ansible is ANSIBLE_CONFIG. You can point Ansible to a specific configuration file by setting this variable.

Example:

``bash


export ANSIBLE_CONFIG=/path/to/my/ansible.cfg



Common Options

Before diving into the actions, let’s understand some common options available with the ansible-config command:

--version: This option displays the program's version number, the location of the configuration file, the configured module search path, module location, executable location, and then exits.

-h, --help: Use this option to display the help message and exit.

-v, --verbose: Increasing verbosity is a useful way to troubleshoot issues. You can add multiple -v options to increase the verbosity level. -vvv` is a reasona