Dev Machine Ansible Playbook

This an Ansible Playbook to provision my macOS and Ubuntu dev machines.

What this playbook provide ?

It will :

• create useful directories.
• install packages (brew(and taps), mise-managed tools, and on Ubuntu also apt/flatpak).
• copy dotfiles which configure various applications(Git, npm, terraform) in home.
• copy some zsh script, mainly for configuration and some helper functions and aliases.

How to install it the first time ?

macOS

• install brew : brew.sh/

• install ansible and gh : brew install ansible gh

• authenticate to GitHub (the playbook installs gh extensions, which needs this done first)

  gh auth login

• checkout project in ~/projects/perso/provision/dev-provision.

• copy roles/mac_dev_playbook/files/HOME/.ansible.cfg in ~/.ansible.cfg

  curl -fsSL https://github.com/Ameausoone/dev-provision/raw/refs/heads/main/roles/mac_dev_playbook/files/HOME/.ansible.cfg -o ~/.ansible.cfg

• init the ~/.ansible/inventory file

  mkdir -p ~/.ansible && printf '[localhost]\n%s\n' "$(hostname)" > ~/.ansible/inventory

• then go to ~/projects/perso/provision/dev-provision.

• run ansible-playbook main.yml --diff --verbose --inventory ~/.ansible/inventory --limit $(hostname).

Ubuntu

• install Linuxbrew : docs.brew.sh/Homebrew-on-Linux

  /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  eval "$($(brew --prefix)/bin/brew shellenv)"

• install ansible, gh, and the collections ansible needs (community.general, ansible.posix) :

  brew install ansible gh
  ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml

• authenticate to GitHub (the playbook installs gh extensions, which needs this done first)

  gh auth login

• checkout project, e.g. in ~/projects/perso/provision/dev-provision.
• copy roles/mac_dev_playbook/files/HOME/.ansible.cfg in ~/.ansible.cfg (same as macOS above).
• init the ~/.ansible/inventory file as above.
• run ansible-playbook main.yml --diff --verbose --inventory ~/.ansible/inventory --limit $(hostname) --ask-become-pass (--ask-become-pass is needed: apt/flatpak tasks and chsh require sudo).
• the apt tasks need python3-apt and python3-debian for the system Python (already present on Ubuntu Desktop by default; if missing: sudo apt install python3-apt python3-debian).

Packages that only make sense on one OS are split in roles/mac_dev_playbook/defaults/main.yml (*_darwin_only for macOS-only Homebrew formulae, mac_dev_playbook_apt_packages / mac_dev_playbook_flatpak_packages for Ubuntu-only GUI apps).

First run walkthrough

1. Dry run first, to see what would change: add --check to the ansible-playbook command above.
2. Run it for real (see command above). Order: oh-my-zsh clone → dotfiles copy → brew → mise install → apt/flatpak [Ubuntu only] → docker plugin symlinks → gh extensions → shells → macOS defaults [macOS only].
3. On Ubuntu, --ask-become-pass prompts once for your sudo password (used by the apt/flatpak/chsh tasks).
4. Open a new terminal (or exec zsh) to pick up the newly installed dotfiles/shell.
5. Re-running the playbook is safe (idempotent) — use it whenever you change a package list or dotfile.

How to use it ?

Two functions are provided :

• macconfig will open project with code

Manual configuration (I can't automate everything)

• Configure iTerm2 https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/136928/using-alt-cmd-right-left-arrow-in-iterm
• Create ~/.gitconfig.local with your git identity (not repo-managed, machine-local):

  [user]
    name = Your Name
    email = your@email.com

Docs

Terraform tools are documented in terraform-family.md.

Various

Conf

• I talked about this project at DevFest Strasbourg 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EVxJo2A5a8

Could I use it ?

At your own risk, this playbook doesn't aim to be used by someone else, it's just to share how I provision my computers.

mise: install tools

mise install

Load SSH key in ssh-agent

• Look at https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/250572/222951

Setup Commit message template

• Look at https://efren45marin.medium.com/how-to-take-your-git-commit-messages-to-the-next-level-with-a-commit-template-cd3a608b1ac9