> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Demo Writing a Simple Playbook > Tutorial showing how to create an Ansible playbook to install and configure Apache on RHEL, deploy a template index page, and manage the service with handlers. Now that you understand what an Ansible playbook is and how its structure works, let's build one from a real-world scenario. This tutorial converts a repetitive manual process into automation so you can deploy a basic web test environment consistently across RHEL hosts. Imagine a small fleet of RHEL servers where developers often need a disposable web test site. Currently someone manually installs Apache (httpd), enables and starts the service, and drops a test page. We'll automate those steps with a single Ansible playbook. A slide titled "Automating Manual Web Setup" showing a developer icon connected to a group of RHEL servers. To the right are three listed steps: Install Apache, Start service, and Deploy test page. What you'll build * A small Ansible project that installs httpd, deploys a template-based index.html, ensures the service is running, and restarts httpd when content changes. * The playbook demonstrates inventory, ansible.cfg defaults, variables, tasks, templates, and handlers—the core building blocks of Ansible automation. Workflow * Create a project folder and basic files. * Define an inventory that targets the managed host(s). * Add a minimal ansible.cfg so you don't need extra CLI flags. * Write a playbook with tasks and handlers. * Run the playbook and verify the result on the managed host. Environment overview | Item | Details | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Control host | Where Ansible runs (your workstation) | | Managed host | servera (RHEL) | | Authentication | SSH public-key authentication preconfigured | | Remote user | student (passwordless sudo configured) | | Privilege escalation | sudo via sudoers drop-in (no password) | Ensure the Ansible remote user can perform privileged tasks. In this lab the sudoers entry allows the student user to use sudo without a password: ```text theme={null} student ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL ``` Be careful granting NOPASSWD sudo in production. Use the minimum required privileges and restrict commands where possible. Install Ansible Core (example) * Install Ansible on the control host. The example below uses dnf on RHEL; replace with your platform's package manager if needed. ```text theme={null} student@control:~$ sudo dnf install -y ansible-core ... Installed: ansible-core-1:2.16.14-1.el10.noarch ... Complete! student@control:~$ ``` Create the project directory and files 1. Create a project folder and enter it: ```bash theme={null} student@control:~$ mkdir project student@control:~$ cd project ``` 2. Create an inventory file. This example defines a webservers group with servera. Adjust ansible\_host if you need an explicit IP. ```ini theme={null} # inventory [webservers] servera ansible_host=10.0.2.4 ``` 3. Create a minimal ansible.cfg so you don't need to pass --inventory or --user on the command line. Save this as ansible.cfg in the project folder. ```ini theme={null} [defaults] inventory = inventory remote_user = student [privilege_escalation] become = true become_user = root become_method = sudo become_ask_pass = false ``` Files you will create | File | Purpose | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | inventory | Defines target hosts (webservers group) | | ansible.cfg | Project-local defaults (inventory, remote\_user, become settings) | | playbook.yml | The Ansible playbook with tasks and handlers | | index.html.j2 | Jinja2 template for the web page | Write the playbook Create playbook.yml with the content below. The playbook installs the httpd package, deploys a simple index.html template, starts the httpd service, and notifies a handler to restart httpd when the template changes. ```yaml theme={null} # playbook.yml - name: install httpd on servera hosts: webservers vars: httpd_pkg: httpd httpd_svc: httpd tasks: - name: Install Apache webserver dnf: name: "{{ httpd_pkg }}" state: latest - name: Deploy content template: src: index.html.j2 dest: /var/www/html/index.html notify: restart httpd - name: Start httpd service service: name: "{{ httpd_svc }}" state: started handlers: - name: restart httpd service: name: "{{ httpd_svc }}" state: restarted ``` Create the template Create the Jinja2 template index.html.j2 in the same project directory. This template uses an Ansible facts variable to include the host's hostname in the page. ```jinja2 theme={null} Hello from {{ ansible_hostname }} ``` Validate and run the playbook 1. Perform a syntax check: ```bash theme={null} student@control:~/project$ ansible-playbook playbook.yml --syntax-check playbook: playbook.yml ``` 2. Run the playbook: ```bash theme={null} student@control:~/project$ ansible-playbook playbook.yml ``` Example (condensed) output showing the play execution: ```text theme={null} PLAY [install httpd on servera] **************************************************** TASK [Gathering Facts] ************************************************************* ok: [servera] TASK [Install Apache webserver] **************************************************** changed: [servera] TASK [Deploy content] ************************************************************** changed: [servera] TASK [Start httpd service] ********************************************************* changed: [servera] RUNNING HANDLER [restart httpd] *************************************************** changed: [servera] PLAY RECAP ************************************************************************ servera : ok=5 changed=4 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 ``` Verify the result on the managed host SSH to the managed host (or use a remote check) and curl the local web server to confirm the template is served: ```bash theme={null} student@control:~/project$ ssh servera student@servera:~$ curl -s http://localhost Hello from servera ``` This confirms the playbook installed httpd, deployed the index.html template, started the service, and the handler restarted httpd after the template changed. Conclusion You've created a minimal, reusable Ansible project that automates installing and configuring an Apache-based test page on RHEL. This covers essential Ansible concepts—inventory, configuration, variables, tasks, templates, and handlers—that form the foundation for more advanced automation. Links and references * [Ansible Documentation](https://docs.ansible.com/) * [Ansible Playbooks](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks.html) * [Jinja2 Template Documentation](https://jinja.palletsprojects.com/) * [RHEL System Administration Guide](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/)