What you'll learn
- Introduction
- Links
- Step by step
- Conclusion
- Related Articles
Introduction
Ansible Collections are a powerful way to organize and distribute your Ansible content, including modules, plugins, roles, and more. They allow you to package and share your automation resources in a structured and reusable manner. In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the process of creating a new Ansible Collection using the `ansible-galaxy` command-line tool.
Links
- [Creating collections](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/dev_guide/developing_collections_creating.html)
- [Developing collections](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/dev_guide/developing_collections.html)
Step by step
**Step 1: Installation and Prerequisites**
Before you start, ensure that you have Ansible and the `ansible-galaxy` command-line tool installed on your system. If not, you can install Ansible by following the official documentation. Once installed, you'll be ready to create your new Ansible Collection.
**Step 2: Initialize a New Collection**
To create a new collection, open your terminal and run the following command:
```bash
ansible-galaxy collection init test.test
```
This command initializes a new collection named `test.test`. You should see an output confirming that the collection was created successfully.
```bash
ansible-galaxy collection init test.test
- Collection test.test was created successfully
```
**Step 3: Explore the Collection Structure**
After creating the collection, navigate to the collection's directory. You can use the following command:
```bash
cd test/test
```
Inside this directory, you'll find several subdirectories and files that make up your Ansible Collection's structure:
- `docs/`: This directory is where you can add documentation related to your collection.
- `galaxy.yml`: This file contains metadata about your collection, including its name, description, and author information.
- `meta/`: This directory stores files related to the metadata of your collection, such as the runtime configuration.
- `plugins/`: This directory is where you can add custom plugins.
- `README.md`: This file provides information about your collection and its usage.
- `roles/`: This directory is where you can add roles specific to your collection.
Content of the "`test/test`" directory:
```bash
.
└── test
└── test
├── docs
├── galaxy.yml
├── meta
│ └── runtime.yml
├── plugins
│ └── README.md
├── README.md
└── roles
6 directories, 4 files
```
**Step 4: Making Necessary Changes**
At this point, you can start making the necessary changes to your collection. You can add new modules, plugins, roles, or any other content your automation requires. Modify the `galaxy.yml` file to reflect your collection's information accurately.
**Step 5: Building the Collection**
It's time to build the collection once you've made the required changes and added your content. Building the collection packages all your content into a distributable archive. In your collection