This tutorial is part of a series we dedicated to Ansible. Previously we talked about the Ansible basics, then we focused on some Ansible modules we can use to perform some very common administration tasks, and we also talked about Ansible loops. In this article, instead, we learn how to create interactive prompts we can use to ask for user input and how to pass variables at runtime.
administration
How to create and extract cpio archives on Linux Examples
Although the cpio archiving utility is nowadays used less than other archiving tools like tar, it is still good to know how it works, since it is still used, for example, to create initramfs images on Linux and for rpm packages, which are used mainly in the Red Hat family of distributions.
How to hash passwords on Linux
Passwords should never be stored as plain text. Whether we are talking about a web application or an operating system, they should always be in hash form (on Linux, for example, hashed passwords are stored in the /etc/shadow file).
Install Python 2 on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux
This tutorial will show how to install Python2 for Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux. Python 2 has not been the default installed version on Ubuntu for a few years, but it’s still possible to install Python2 and to install Python 2.7 on Ubuntu.
How to perform administration operations with Ansible modules
In previous tutorials we introduced Ansible and we discussed Ansible loops. This time we learn the basic usage of some modules we can use inside playbooks to perform some of the most common system administration operations.
Introduction to Wake On Lan
Wake-on-lan (also known with the “W.O.L” acronym) is a standard ethernet feature which allows a machine to be woken up on the reception of a specific type of network packet (the so called MagicPacket). The main advantage of this feature is that it allows us to keep a machine in a low power consumption state, and be accessed only when needed.
How to reset Kali Linux root password
It’s possible to reset Kali Linux password in the event that you are no longer able to login to the root user account. This happens if you haven’t logged in for a while and have since forgot Kali Linux password.
Setup Bootsplash on Ubuntu/Debian – grub silent or verbose boot mode
The splash screen of a Linux system, which is the first screen you see when the operating system is booting up, is fully customizable.
Linux path environment variable
The PATH environment variable is an essential component of any Linux system. If you ever use the command line at all, the system is relying on the PATH variable to find the location of the commands you are entering.
How to remove www from url in htaccess
As you probably noticed a long time ago, online websites can be accessed either with or without their www. prefix. For example www.linuxconfig.org and linuxconfig.org.
Install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux guest
If you’re running Linux inside a VirtualBox virtual machine, installing the Guest Additions software will help you get the most out of the system. VirtualBox Guest Additions will give the machine more capabilities, such as a shared clipboard with the host system, drag and drop file transfer, time synchronization, shared folders, automatic window resizing, and more.
LVM backup and restore snapshot in Linux
Logical Volume Manager (LVM) is used on Linux to manage hard drives and other storage devices. As the name implies, it can sort raw storage into logical volumes, making it easy to configure and use.