Role Name

This role sets up and configures Image Builder to create Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system (OS) images. These are complete OS images, not container images, and can be used in cloud, virtual, and physical environments.

Requirements

1. For RHEL/CentOS 7.x, the Extras repository needs to be enabled.
2. If you are using this on a local node, you’ll need to enable the Ansible repository for RHEL/CentOS.
3. It requires linux-system-roles.cockpit to set up the graphical user interface dependencies.
4. Optional recommendations:
   • Use linux-system-roles.storage to prepare a dedicated file system for storing image files.
   • Use linux-system-roles.firewall to allow remote access to the Web Console.

Role Variables

By default, the main packages for the Image Builder command-line interface (CLI) and service will be installed:

  vars:
    ib_packages: [default, minimal, full]
    ib_daemon: [lorax-composer, osbuild-composer]

• minimal (includes the CLI plus one backend engine)
  • lorax-composer: backend build engine and API from the classic Anaconda installer.
  • osbuild-composer: next-gen backend engine and API.
  • composer-cli: command line interface.
• default (includes GUI from Cockpit)
  • cockpit-composer: graphical front end for the Cockpit Web Console.
• full (currently the same as default, but may change)
  • cockpit-composer: graphical front end for the Cockpit Web Console.

Example Playbooks

A very simple example:

---
- hosts: fedora, rhel7, rhel8
  become: yes
  roles:
    - linux-system-roles.image_builder

A more advanced example that can set up optional storage and firewall:

- hosts: fedora, rhel7, rhel8
  become: yes

# Assumes installation of RHEL System Roles
#   yum install --enablerepo=rhel-7-server-ansible-2-rpms rhel-system-roles ansible
#
# Assumes installation of roles from Galaxy
#   ansible-galaxy install linux-system-roles.storage
#   ansible-galaxy install linux-system-roles.firewall
#   ansible-galaxy install linux-system-roles.cockpit

  vars:
    USE_FIREWALL: 1
    CONFIG_STORAGE: 0

  tasks:
    # Optional: set up a second disk to store OS image files.
    # Minimal images are typically around 2 GB each.
    # Alternatively, you can link to a NAS share.
    - name: Configure storage for Image Builder
      include_role:
        name: linux-system-roles.storage
      vars:
        use_partitions: false
        storage_pools:
          - name: image_builder
            disks: ['']  # e.g., vdb
            state: present
            volumes:
              - name: composer
                size: "20G"  # size depends on the number of images created
                fs_label: "imgbldr"
                mount_point: '/var/lib/lorax/composer'
      when: CONFIG_STORAGE

  # Optionally use the Cockpit role to install everything,
  # otherwise, the Image Builder role installs the basic GUI dependencies.
  - name: Install and enable RHEL/Fedora Web Console (Cockpit) service
    include_role:
      name: linux-system-roles.cockpit
    vars:
      cockpit_packages: "full"   # or "minimal" or "default"

  - name: Install and enable RHEL/Fedora Image Builder service
    include_role:
      name: linux-system-roles.image_builder
    vars:
      ib_packages: "full"   # or "minimal" or "default"

  - name: Configure Firewall for Web Console
    include_role:
      name: linux-system-roles.firewall
    vars:
      firewall:
        service: cockpit
        state: enabled
    when: USE_FIREWALL

License

GPLv3