To run an ad-hoc command, use ansible. Examples:
$ ansible all -m ping # as bruce $ ansible all -m ping -u bruce # as bruce, sudoing to root $ ansible all -m ping -u bruce --sudo # as bruce, sudoing to batman $ ansible all -m ping -u bruce --sdo --sudo-user batman $ ansible all -a "/bin/echo hello"
Help:
Usage: ansible <host-pattern> [options]
Options:
-a MODULE_ARGS, --args=MODULE_ARGS
module arguments
-k, --ask-pass ask for SSH password
--ask-su-pass ask for su password
-K, --ask-sudo-pass ask for sudo password
--ask-vault-pass ask for vault password
-B SECONDS, --background=SECONDS
run asynchronously, failing after X seconds
(default=N/A)
-C, --check don't make any changes; instead, try to predict some
of the changes that may occur
-c CONNECTION, --connection=CONNECTION
connection type to use (default=smart)
-f FORKS, --forks=FORKS
specify number of parallel processes to use
(default=5)
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-i INVENTORY, --inventory-file=INVENTORY
specify inventory host file
(default=/etc/ansible/hosts)
-l SUBSET, --limit=SUBSET
further limit selected hosts to an additional pattern
--list-hosts outputs a list of matching hosts; does not execute
anything else
-m MODULE_NAME, --module-name=MODULE_NAME
module name to execute (default=command)
-M MODULE_PATH, --module-path=MODULE_PATH
specify path(s) to module library
(default=/usr/share/ansible/)
-o, --one-line condense output
-P POLL_INTERVAL, --poll=POLL_INTERVAL
set the poll interval if using -B (default=15)
--private-key=PRIVATE_KEY_FILE
use this file to authenticate the connection
-S, --su run operations with su
-R SU_USER, --su-user=SU_USER
run operations with su as this user (default=root)
-s, --sudo run operations with sudo (nopasswd)
-U SUDO_USER, --sudo-user=SUDO_USER
desired sudo user (default=root)
-T TIMEOUT, --timeout=TIMEOUT
override the SSH timeout in seconds (default=10)
-t TREE, --tree=TREE log output to this directory
-u REMOTE_USER, --user=REMOTE_USER
connect as this user (default=poirier)
--vault-password-file=VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE
vault password file
-v, --verbose verbose mode (-vvv for more, -vvvv to enable
connection debugging)
--version show program's version number and exit
To run a playbook, use ansible-playbook:
Usage: ansible-playbook playbook.yml [options]
Options:
-k, --ask-pass ask for SSH password
--ask-su-pass ask for su password
-K, --ask-sudo-pass ask for sudo password
--ask-vault-pass ask for vault password
-C, --check don't make any changes; instead, try to predict some
of the changes that may occur
-c CONNECTION, --connection=CONNECTION
connection type to use (default=smart)
-D, --diff when changing (small) files and templates, show the
differences in those files; works great with --check
-e EXTRA_VARS, --extra-vars=EXTRA_VARS
set additional variables as key=value or YAML/JSON
--force-handlers run handlers even if a task fails
-f FORKS, --forks=FORKS
specify number of parallel processes to use
(default=5)
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-i INVENTORY, --inventory-file=INVENTORY
specify inventory host file
(default=/etc/ansible/hosts)
-l SUBSET, --limit=SUBSET
further limit selected hosts to an additional pattern
--list-hosts outputs a list of matching hosts; does not execute
anything else
--list-tasks list all tasks that would be executed
-M MODULE_PATH, --module-path=MODULE_PATH
specify path(s) to module library
(default=/usr/share/ansible/)
--private-key=PRIVATE_KEY_FILE
use this file to authenticate the connection
--skip-tags=SKIP_TAGS
only run plays and tasks whose tags do not match these
values
--start-at-task=START_AT
start the playbook at the task matching this name
--step one-step-at-a-time: confirm each task before running
-S, --su run operations with su
-R SU_USER, --su-user=SU_USER
run operations with su as this user (default=root)
-s, --sudo run operations with sudo (nopasswd)
-U SUDO_USER, --sudo-user=SUDO_USER
desired sudo user (default=root)
--syntax-check perform a syntax check on the playbook, but do not
execute it
-t TAGS, --tags=TAGS only run plays and tasks tagged with these values
-T TIMEOUT, --timeout=TIMEOUT
override the SSH timeout in seconds (default=10)
-u REMOTE_USER, --user=REMOTE_USER
connect as this user (default=poirier)
--vault-password-file=VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE
vault password file
-v, --verbose verbose mode (-vvv for more, -vvvv to enable
connection debugging)
--version show program's version number and exit
Ansible-pull is a small script that will checkout a repo of configuration instructions from git, and then run ansible-playbook against that content.
Assuming you load balance your checkout location, ansible-pull scales essentially infinitely.
Help:
Usage: ansible-pull [options] [playbook.yml]
Options:
-K, --ask-sudo-pass ask for sudo password
-C CHECKOUT, --checkout=CHECKOUT
branch/tag/commit to checkout. Defaults to behavior
of repository module.
-d DEST, --directory=DEST
directory to checkout repository to
-e EXTRA_VARS, --extra-vars=EXTRA_VARS
set additional variables as key=value or YAML/JSON
-f, --force run the playbook even if the repository could not be
updated
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-i INVENTORY, --inventory-file=INVENTORY
location of the inventory host file
-m MODULE_NAME, --module-name=MODULE_NAME
Module name used to check out repository. Default is
git.
-o, --only-if-changed
only run the playbook if the repository has been
updated
--purge purge checkout after playbook run
-s SLEEP, --sleep=SLEEP
sleep for random interval (between 0 and n number of
seconds) before starting. this is a useful way to
disperse git requests
-U URL, --url=URL URL of the playbook repository
--vault-password-file=VAULT_PASSWORD_FILE
vault password file
-v, --verbose Pass -vvvv to ansible-playbook