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Automation Tools: Automate Linux Operations

Automation tools automate Linux operations. Ansible. Terraform. They use Linux commands.

Here's the thing: Automation tools are Linux automation. Your Linux skills apply directly.

Ansible: Configuration Management​

What Ansible Does​

Ansible automates Linux configuration. It runs Linux commands. On multiple servers.

My take: Ansible = Linux commands on multiple servers. That's it.

Basic Playbook​

---
- name: Install and configure nginx
  hosts: webservers
  tasks:
    - name: Install nginx
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present

    - name: Start nginx
      systemd:
        name: nginx
        state: started
        enabled: yes

My take: Ansible playbooks = Linux commands in YAML. Your skills apply.

Ansible Commands​

# Run playbook
ansible-playbook playbook.yml

# Run ad-hoc command
ansible all -a "sudo apt update"

My take: Ansible runs Linux commands. Use your Linux knowledge.

Terraform: Infrastructure as Code​

What Terraform Does​

Terraform creates infrastructure. It uses cloud APIs. But it's Linux underneath.

My take: Terraform creates Linux servers. Your Linux skills apply.

Basic Configuration​

resource "aws_instance" "web" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  user_data = <<-EOF
    #!/bin/bash
    apt update
    apt install -y nginx
    systemctl start nginx
  EOF
}

My take: Terraform uses Linux commands in user_data. Your skills work.

The Connection​

Automation tools = Linux automation.

They run Linux commands. They configure Linux. They manage Linux.

My take: Learn Linux well. Automation tools become easy. It's the same skills.

Common Patterns​

Ansible: Configure Server​

- name: Configure web server
  hosts: webservers
  tasks:
    - apt: name=nginx state=present
    - systemd: name=nginx state=started enabled=yes
    - copy: src=nginx.conf dest=/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
    - systemd: name=nginx state=reloaded

Terraform: Create Server​

resource "aws_instance" "app" {
  user_data = <<-EOF
    apt update
    apt install -y docker.io
    systemctl start docker
  EOF
}

Common Mistakes (I've Made These)​

  1. Thinking tools are different: Tools are Linux automation. Your skills apply.

  2. Not learning Linux first: Learn Linux. Tools become easy.

  3. Overcomplicating: Tools are simple. They run Linux commands.

  4. Not testing: Test automation. Make sure it works.

  5. Ignoring Linux: Linux is the foundation. Learn it well.

Real-World Examples​

Ansible Playbook​

---
- name: Setup web server
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install nginx
      apt: name=nginx state=present
    - name: Start nginx
      systemd: name=nginx state=started enabled=yes

What's Next?​

Now that you understand automation tools, you can automate Linux operations. Or review what you've learned. You're ready.

Personal note: Automation tools seemed complex at first. Then I realized: they're Linux automation. Now I use my Linux skills with tools. It's the same. Learn Linux. Tools follow.