Ansible templates and handlers, by example
Render an nginx config from a Jinja2 template, notify a handler so it reloads only on a real change, then run the play twice to prove idempotence.
#ansible
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Ansible check mode and --diff dry runs
Ansible check mode explained: what --check and --diff really prove, and where a dry run gives you a wrong answer before you apply for real.
Ansible inventory files explained
Your Ansible inventory decides which host gets which variable: INI and YAML forms, groups, group_vars, host_vars, connection settings and precedence.
Ansible Vault: encrypt secrets in git
Keep passwords and API tokens in a playbook repo safely: encrypt a vars file or one inline string, split staging from production, and rekey cleanly.
Ansible: ignore unreachable hosts
Ansible treats an unreachable host differently from a failed task. Use ignore_unreachable, serial and max_fail_percentage, and still see what was missed.
Ansible vs Terraform: which do you need?
Terraform creates the VPS, Ansible configures it. The real split, why provisioners fight both tools, the handoff commands, and when you need only Ansible.
Ansible playbook vs role: when to use each
When a flat Ansible playbook is enough and when a role earns its directories: the role layout, ansible-galaxy init, role calls, and variable precedence.
Manage multiple Linux servers: tools that work
SSH config, tmux, Ansible, Uptime Kuma, Zabbix and Webmin, ranked by how many servers you have: what each replaces, setup cost in minutes, the one gotcha.
Ansible tutorial: your first playbook on a VPS
Install Ansible with pipx on Ubuntu 24.04, write an inventory and a first playbook that hardens a fresh VPS, plus fixes for Permission denied and sudo errors.