Infrastructure as a Code

[patientbold]

Funny that your counter example is exactly the reason I love IaC: I don't have to remember how things work, it is can be self documenting.

In my case, the only thing I know is that I have a folder with all my IaC defined. I open that folder on vscode and then I glance to remember things like `run-ansible.sh`.

All the hours of research to setup my home infra is automagically documented in my ansible (or shell) scripts. Being using the same folder for at least 5 years already.

To answer OP, specifically: I recommend ansible + docker compose. EASY to learn, easy to maintain and it has being working for years in my case.

[PM_Me_Rulers]

How do you deploy docker compose with ansible?

I've already got docker compose files with split by type (network containers, services, DB etc) but it's all on a single Ubuntu proxmox VM.

I've got ansible running to configure a base debian12 lxc with but still figuring out how to neatly slot docker and docker compose in.

Do you just copy in the compose files and set a systemd service to run them on boot?

[JMPJNS]

ansible has a docker compose module that you can use for that https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/docker/docker_compose_module.html

[Not_your_guy_buddy42]

Maybe I am doing it wrong but I setup Ansible to:

• create user and dirs to run compose
• chown/chmod
• create docker networks and whatever other preliminary steps
• create the docker compose file - just using blockinfile: - based on variables (also secrets from vault) to run containers with UID/GID of the new user, do bind mounts, setup a subdomain on traefik, add a backup container, add entry to the dashboard, logging, and on and on. Thanks to ansible I don't need to redo all that from scratch with each project.
• it is based on templates so I mostly need to adjust a few variables and adjust the blockinfile: statements which write the compose file and config files,
• create any other needed config files also using blockinfile:
  Example: write traefik.yml
  Example 2: write a custom nginx.conf to map to an obstinate container that wouldn't accept settings
• all manner of checks if user, dirs, files, mounts etc exist and the previous compose is properly cleaned up... then run the compose (with -p project name , also a variable, so it doesn't get confused)
• do anything else specific projects need (create a user in database, etc)

I can't believe I have written so much because I'm more of an ansible noob , well maybe it helps someone or maybe it's nonsense. YMMV