Installing and Getting Started

Before you can automate anything with Ansible, you need to install it on your control node --- the machine from which you will manage your infrastructure. This lesson covers installation methods, initial configuration, and running your first Ansible commands.

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Prerequisites

Control Node Requirements

• Python 3.9+ (Ansible core requires Python on the control node)
• Linux or macOS (Windows is not supported as a control node, but WSL2 works)
• SSH client installed (for connecting to managed nodes)

Managed Node Requirements

• Python 3 installed (most Linux distributions include it)
• SSH server running and accessible
• A user account with sufficient privileges (or sudo access)

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Installation Methods

1. pip (Recommended)

The recommended way to install Ansible is via Python's package manager:

# Install Ansible (full package including community collections)
pip install ansible

# Or install just the core engine (lighter)
pip install ansible-core

2. Package Manager

Install from your OS package manager:

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ansible

# RHEL / CentOS / Fedora
sudo dnf install ansible

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install ansible