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Ansible Navigator

Learn how to use Ansible Navigator to run playbooks and access module documentation while automating tasks on a managed RHEL host.

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Overview

In this lab, you will learn how to use ansible-navigator as a modern command-line tool for running Ansible playbooks and accessing module documentation. You will configure connectivity to a managed host, install Ansible Navigator, create a simple playbook that deploys a marker file, and execute the playbook using ansible-navigator instead of ansible-playbook. You will also use Ansible Navigator to look up documentation for the copy module and verify that the playbook successfully made the required change on the managed host.

Learning Outcomes

  • Install ansible-navigator using Python pip.
  • Create a simple Ansible playbook for a managed host.
  • Run a playbook using ansible-navigator run.
  • Use stdout mode to display Navigator output directly in the terminal.
  • Run Ansible Navigator using the local Ansible installation without an execution environment.
  • Look up module documentation using ansible-navigator doc.
  • Verify that a playbook executed through Ansible Navigator successfully changed the managed host.

Key Concepts

  • Ansible Navigator: A command-line tool for running Ansible automation and accessing information about Ansible content.
  • ansible-navigator run: Executes an Ansible playbook through Ansible Navigator.
  • ansible-navigator doc: Displays documentation for Ansible modules directly from the command line.
  • stdout Mode: Displays execution output directly in the terminal instead of opening Navigator's interactive interface.
  • Execution Environment: An isolated environment that can contain Ansible and the dependencies required to execute automation content.
  • Local Execution: Using --execution-environment false allows Navigator to use the locally installed Ansible environment instead of a container-based execution environment.
  • Fully Qualified Collection Name: A module name such as ansible.builtin.copy that identifies both the collection and the module being used.

Why Needed?

  • Modern Ansible Workflow: Provides hands-on experience running automation through Ansible Navigator instead of relying only on traditional Ansible commands.
  • Quick Documentation Access: Allows module documentation to be accessed directly from the command line while developing playbooks.
  • Flexible Execution: Supports both execution environments and locally installed Ansible environments.
  • Efficient Playbook Testing: Stdout mode provides familiar terminal output that makes playbook execution easy to follow.
  • Practical Verification: Verifying the resulting file on the managed host confirms that automation executed through Navigator produced the expected result.