1 Docker-Ansible base images
4 [![Circle CI](https://circleci.com/gh/William-Yeh/docker-ansible.svg?style=shield)](https://circleci.com/gh/William-Yeh/docker-ansible) [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/William-Yeh/docker-ansible.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/William-Yeh/docker-ansible)
9 Repository name in Docker Hub: **[williamyeh/ansible](https://hub.docker.com/r/williamyeh/ansible/)**
11 This repository contains Dockerized [Ansible](https://github.com/ansible/ansible), published to the public [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/) via **automated build** mechanism.
17 These are Docker images for [Ansible](https://github.com/ansible/ansible) software, installed in a selected Linux distributions.
21 Debian (stretch, jessie), Ubuntu (xenial, trusty), CentOS (7), Alpine (3).
23 Supports for Wheezy, Precise, and CentOS6 have been ended since Sep 2017.
27 Four versions are provided:
29 1. provides the most recent *stable* version of Ansible; suitable for most people.
30 2. same as stable version, but is designed for building (near-)*minimal* images out of playbooks; i.e., the Ansible body will be removed when mission completed. Refer to “[Build Docker images with Ansible: A half-blood approach](https://github.com/William-Yeh/build-docker-with-ansible)” for working examples and slides.
31 3. provides the old 1.9 version of Ansible (but will be retired someday).
32 4. provides the *experimental* version of Ansible; i.e., the master branch of official [Ansible's git repo](https://github.com/ansible/ansible).
34 Each version is further divided into two variants:
36 - *Normal* variant: intended to be used as Ansible *control machines*, or in cases that is inadequate in the onbuild variants.
37 - *Onbuild* variant: intended to be used to build Docker images.
42 ### Stable version (installed from official PyPI repo):
46 - `williamyeh/ansible:debian9`
47 - `williamyeh/ansible:debian8`
48 - `williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu16.04`
49 - `williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04`
50 - `williamyeh/ansible:centos7`
51 - `williamyeh/ansible:alpine3`
53 - Onbuild variants (*recommended for common cases*):
55 - `williamyeh/ansible:debian9-onbuild`
56 - `williamyeh/ansible:debian8-onbuild`
57 - `williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu16.04-onbuild`
58 - `williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04-onbuild`
59 - `williamyeh/ansible:centos7-onbuild`
60 - `williamyeh/ansible:alpine3-onbuild`
63 ### Minimal configuration (the Ansible body will be removed when mission completed):
65 Refer to “[Build Docker images with Ansible: A half-blood approach](https://github.com/William-Yeh/build-docker-with-ansible)” for working examples and slides.
69 - `williamyeh/ansible:mini-alpine3`
70 - `williamyeh/ansible:mini-debian9`
71 - `williamyeh/ansible:mini-debian8`
74 ### Old 1.9 version (will be retired someday):
76 Note: Ansible 1.9 was not supported in CentOS EPEL since January 2017, according to [this announcement](http://www.spinics.net/linux/fedora/epel-devel/msg00792.html).
80 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-debian8`
81 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-ubuntu14.04`
82 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-alpine3`
84 - Onbuild variants (*recommended for common cases*):
86 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-debian8-onbuild`
87 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-ubuntu14.04-onbuild`
88 - `williamyeh/ansible:1.9-alpine3-onbuild`
91 ### Experimental version (building directly from the git `master` source tree; use at your own risk!):
95 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-debian9`
96 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-debian8`
97 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-ubuntu16.04`
98 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-ubuntu14.04`
99 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-centos7`
101 - Onbuild variants (*recommended for common cases*):
103 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-debian9-onbuild`
104 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-debian8-onbuild`
105 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-ubuntu16.04-onbuild`
106 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-ubuntu14.04-onbuild`
107 - `williamyeh/ansible:master-centos7-onbuild`
113 Here comes a simplest working example for the impatient.
115 First, choose a base image you'd like to begin with. For example, `williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04-onbuild`.
117 Second, put the following `Dockerfile` along with your playbook directory:
120 FROM williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04-onbuild
122 # ==> Specify requirements filename; default = "requirements.yml"
123 #ENV REQUIREMENTS requirements.yml
125 # ==> Specify playbook filename; default = "playbook.yml"
126 #ENV PLAYBOOK playbook.yml
128 # ==> Specify inventory filename; default = "/etc/ansible/hosts"
129 #ENV INVENTORY inventory.ini
131 # ==> Executing Ansible (with a simple wrapper)...
132 RUN ansible-playbook-wrapper
135 Third, `docker build .`
139 For more advanced usage, the role in Ansible Galaxy [`williamyeh/nginx`](https://galaxy.ansible.com/williamyeh/nginx/) demonstrates how to perform a simple smoke test (*configuration needs test, too!*) on a variety of (*containerized*) Linux distributions on [CircleCI](https://circleci.com/)'s Ubuntu 12.04 and [Travis CI](https://travis-ci.org/)’s Ubuntu 14.04 worker instances.
144 ## Why yet another Ansible image for Docker?
146 There has been quite a few Ansible images for Docker (e.g., [search](https://hub.docker.com/search/?q=ansible&isAutomated=0&isOfficial=0&page=1&pullCount=1&starCount=0) in the Docker Hub), so why reinvent the wheel?
148 In the beginning I used the [`ansible/ansible-docker-base`](https://github.com/ansible/ansible-docker-base) created by Ansible Inc. It worked well, but left some room for improvement:
150 - *Base OS image* - It provides only `centos:centos7` and `ubuntu:14.04`. Insufficent for me.
152 - *Unnecessary dependencies* - It installed, at the very beginning of its Dockerfile, the `software-properties-common` package, which in turns installed some Python packages. I prefered to incorporate these stuff only when absolutely needed.
154 Therefore, I built these Docker images on my own.
156 **NOTE:** [`ansible/ansible-docker-base`](https://github.com/ansible/ansible-docker-base) announced in September 2015: “Ansible no longer maintains images in Dockerhub directly.”
158 ### Comparison: image size
161 REPOSITORY TAG VIRTUAL SIZE
162 --------------------------- ------------------- ------------
163 ansible/centos7-ansible stable 367.5 MB
164 ansible/ubuntu14.04-ansible stable 286.6 MB
166 williamyeh/ansible alpine3-onbuild 66.4 MB
167 williamyeh/ansible centos6-onbuild 264.2 MB
168 williamyeh/ansible centos7-onbuild 275.3 MB
169 williamyeh/ansible debian7-onbuild 134.4 MB
170 williamyeh/ansible debian8-onbuild 178.3 MB
171 williamyeh/ansible ubuntu12.04-onbuild 181.9 MB
172 williamyeh/ansible ubuntu14.04-onbuild 238.3 MB
178 Used mostly as a *base image* for configuring other software stack on some specified Linux distribution(s).
180 Take Debian/Ubuntu/CentOS for example. To test an Ansible `playbook.yml` against a variety of Linux distributions, we may use [Vagrant](https://www.vagrantup.com/) as follows:
185 Vagrant.configure(2) do |config|
187 # ==> Choose a Vagrant box to emulate Linux distribution...
188 config.vm.box = "ubuntu/xenial64"
189 #config.vm.box = "ubuntu/trusty64"
190 #config.vm.box = "debian/stretch64"
191 #config.vm.box = "debian/jessie64"
192 #config.vm.box = "bento/centos-7.2"
193 #config.vm.box = "maier/alpine-3.3.1-x86_64"
196 # ==> Executing Ansible...
197 config.vm.provision "ansible" do |ansible|
198 ansible.playbook = "playbook.yml"
204 Virtual machines can emulate a variety of Linux distributions with good quality, at the cost of runtime overhead.
207 Docker to be a rescue. Now, with these **williamyeh/ansible** series, we may test an Ansible `playbook.yml` against a variety of Linux distributions as follows:
213 # ==> Choose a base image to emulate Linux distribution...
214 FROM williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu16.04
215 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04
216 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:debian9
217 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:debian8
218 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:centos7
219 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:alpine3
222 # ==> Copying Ansible playbook...
226 # ==> Creating inventory file...
227 RUN echo localhost > inventory
229 # ==> Executing Ansible...
230 RUN ansible-playbook -i inventory playbook.yml \
231 --connection=local --sudo
234 You may also work with `onbuild` variants, which take care of many routine steps for you:
239 # ==> Choose a base image to emulate Linux distribution...
240 FROM williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu16.04-onbuild
241 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:ubuntu14.04-onbuild
242 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:debian9-onbuild
243 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:debian8-onbuild
244 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:centos7-onbuild
245 #FROM williamyeh/ansible:alpine3-onbuild
248 # ==> Specify requirements filename; default = "requirements.yml"
249 #ENV REQUIREMENTS requirements.yml
251 # ==> Specify playbook filename; default = "playbook.yml"
252 #ENV PLAYBOOK playbook.yml
254 # ==> Specify inventory filename; default = "/etc/ansible/hosts"
255 #ENV INVENTORY inventory.ini
257 # ==> Executing Ansible (with a simple wrapper)...
258 RUN ansible-playbook-wrapper
263 With Docker, we can test any Ansible playbook against any version of any Linux distribution without the help of Vagrant. More lightweight, and more portable across IaaS, PaaS, and even CaaS (Container as a Service) providers!
265 If better OS emulation (virtualization) isn't required, the Docker approach (containerization) should give you a more efficient Ansible experience.
271 Author: William Yeh <william.pjyeh@gmail.com>
273 Licensed under the Apache License V2.0. See the [LICENSE file](LICENSE) for details.