Ansible Playbook: Install Nginx on VMware VM

This repository contains an Ansible playbook that automates the installation and configuration of Nginx on a Linux-based virtual machine (VM) running in VMware Workstation or VMware Player on a Windows laptop.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Setup Instructions
  • 1. Set Up Your Environment
  • 2. Configure Your Inventory File
  • 3. Create the Ansible Playbook
  • 4. Run the Playbook
• Verifying the Installation
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• License

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following installed on your Windows laptop:

1. VMware Workstation/Player: To run the VM.
2. A Linux-based VM: Running Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, or a similar distribution.
3. Ansible: Installed on your local machine (Windows laptop or within the VM). You can use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to run Ansible if you're on Windows.

Additional Requirements

• SSH Access: Ensure that you can SSH into your VM from your Windows laptop.
• Sudo Access: The user running the Ansible playbook must have sudo privileges on the VM.

Setup Instructions

1. Set Up Your Environment

• Install VMware Workstation/Player: Follow the installation instructions from the official VMware website.
• Create or Import a VM: Set up a Linux-based VM in VMware Workstation/Player.
• Set Up SSH Access: Make sure you can SSH into your VM using a tool like PuTTY or the command line.

2. Configure Your Inventory File

Create an inventory file that lists your VM's IP address and SSH credentials. Example inventory.ini:

[webserver]
192.168.23.241 ansible_user=your_vm_username ansible_ssh_pass=your_vm_password ansible_become=yes ansible_become_password=your_sudo_password

Replace the placeholders with your VM's IP address, SSH username, and passwords.

3. Create the Ansible Playbook

Create a file called install_nginx.yml with the following content:

---
- name: Install and start Nginx on the VM
  hosts: webserver
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Update apt package manager (for Ubuntu/Debian)
      apt:
        update_cache: yes
      when: ansible_distribution in ['Ubuntu', 'Debian']

    - name: Install Nginx (for Ubuntu/Debian)
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present
      when: ansible_distribution in ['Ubuntu', 'Debian']

    - name: Install Nginx (for CentOS/RHEL)
      yum:
        name: nginx
        state: present
      when: ansible_distribution in ['CentOS', 'RedHat']

    - name: Ensure Nginx is running
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: started

4. Run the Playbook

Run the Ansible playbook to install Nginx on your VM:

ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini install_nginx.yml

Ansible will connect to your VM, install Nginx, and ensure the service is running.

Verifying the Installation

After running the playbook, verify that Nginx is installed and running:

1. Check Nginx Status:

   • SSH into your VM and run: `systemctl status nginx`.
   • You should see that Nginx is active and running.

2. Access Nginx in Your Browser:

   • Open a web browser on your Windows laptop.
   • Navigate to `http://192.168.23.241\` (replace with your VM's IP).
   • You should see the Nginx default welcome page.

Troubleshooting

• SSH Issues: Ensure that your VM is reachable over SSH and that the correct credentials are provided.
• Sudo Privileges: Make sure the Ansible user has the necessary sudo privileges on the VM.
• Firewall: If you can't access Nginx from your browser, check if there's a firewall blocking HTTP traffic on port 80.

Contributing

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvements, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request. Contributions are always welcome!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.