A turn-key solution to configure a Linux system (for the moment only works for Fedora). This script uses configuration files written in yaml to adjust and expand the capabilities of the script.

For now, only basic functionality is scripted in python, but given enough demand from other users, or me, more can be added. However, I do not plan to re-write Ansible, I just want a quick way to configure a new system in a pinch.

• Install/Remove packages
• Add repositories
• List installed packages
• Search for packages using a package manager (I don't know why)
• Run bash commands/scripts
• Create text files (as user or as root) (! THIS DOES NOT WORK VERY WELL !)
• Change device's hostname
• Clone a "dotfiles" repository from GitHub
• Work for many distributions/ package managers, without having to code

You can find all available keywords in defaults/main.yaml. Instead of editing the defaults directly, you should create a vars/main.yaml file with your configurations. For examples, you can have a look in the templates/ispanos/ directory to see how I structure my configurations.

dotfiles:

When given a link (string) to a dotfiles repository (see link), it clones the repository and places the files in your home directory, overwriting existing files. Instead of the standard .git/ directory, it uses .cfg/, to avoid issues with nested git directories. Use the following alias to commit and push changes to your dotfiles repository.

dot="/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.cfg/ --work-tree=$HOME"

hostname:

Runs sudo hostnamectl set-hostname {hostname} to change the hostname.

package_managers:

In order to support more distributions, without having to code a different package manager for each Distro, this script has a generic package manager implementation and some essential commands can be added as a dictionary (as seen in defaults/main.yaml).

Make sure to name any new system package_manager dictionaries with the ID of your distro as it is in /etc/os-release. Also, don't forget to set use_sudo: true, when the commands require sudo privileges. (AUR helpers, flatpak and pip should be run as your user.)

packages:

A list of packages* (string or dictionary). When the package is a simple string, it is assumed that the system's package manager will be used. The package can also be written as a dictionary, with the keys package, repository, manager.

package is the name of the package.

The repository field can be used for Flatpak remotes, PPAs, DNF coprs, DNF repositories etc. It is handled by the add_extra_repo: command in package_managers.

For example:

In order to install R-CoprManager from the copr iucar/cran (on Fedora), the following configuration is needed:

packages:
  - package: R-CoprManager
    manager: system # Can be omitted.
    repository: iucar/cran
package_managers: # Already set-up on defaults/main.yaml
fedora:
  install: dnf install -y
  remove: dnf remove -y
  add_extra_repo: dnf copr enable -y
  use_sudo: true

The manager field specifies which of the package_managers will be used to handle the package/repository. Omitting this field is the same as manager: system, where system is an alias for all distributions' package managers.

The field 'purpose' is a placeholder/comment. Any other field raises an Exception.

i.e.

- package: radian
  manager: pip
  # installs radian using pip

- package: io.dbeaver.DBeaverCommunity
  manager: flatpak
  # installs io.dbeaver.DBeaverCommunity from flatpak
  # (if the flathub repo has been added)

package_managers:
  flatpak:
    install: flatpak install -y --system flathub
    remove: flatpak uninstall -y
    add_extra_repo: flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists
packages:
  - manager: flatpak
    repository: flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

* The package field can be omitted for special cases, like adding the flathub remote to flatpak.

prerequisite_packages:

Is a list with the same syntax as packages: and can be used to install some packages before the rest.

pre_install:
post_install:

These are dictionaries that include a files list and a run list. They are run before and after installing packages: respectively.

run is a list of commands that will be concatenated into a single file and will be executed as a bash script. These lists are basically a way to expand my script with your existing bash scripts (since commands can also be executable files).

files is a list of dictionaries that have a path: and a content:. Use it with caution, because it overrides existing files.

WARNING: There is also a use_sudo field, but do not use it, useless you test it in a VM first. It will change file permissions/ownership and may cause issues to your system.

remove:

A list of packages to be removed (same syntax as packages).

include:

Possibly one of the most useful features, is the ability to break your configurations down into multiple files.

Use the include field to add the path, or a list of paths of your yaml files. include field cannot be "nested", i.e. only main.yaml and files included using the --include argument can include other yaml files. The way the included files are merged is the same as the way vars merge with the defaults (see below).

./main --include <file>

Use the --include/-i flag to extend main.yaml without editing any files. Files that are added this way can themselves include more files. This way you can create yaml configurations for specific machines and use the "--include/-i" flag to use a custom-tailored set of configurations for this specific package. Or use ./main --include x y z to install a minimal set of configurations when you are spinning up a new system.

My defaults are merged with vars by overriding all string values, and extending lists. This is also applied for strings and lists in dictionaries. If you want to remove flatpak and the flathub remote from your configuration, you will have to remove them from the defaults/main.yaml file.

• Create a CLI interface.
  • Add flag to specify the vars directory location.
• Add tests
• Add better documentation on the "current_user" variable and how it can cause crashes with "ValueError: unexpected '{' in field name" errors.

If you want to contribute to this repository, maybe you could help me write some tests. Docker cannot be used to test everything this script does.