Episode 72 — Ansible at exam depth: inventories, playbooks, modules, ad hoc, facts, agentless
Linux+ tests Ansible concepts because it represents a common, practical approach to configuration management and automation in Linux environments. This episode explains Ansible at exam depth: inventories define managed hosts and groups, playbooks describe desired tasks in an ordered, repeatable way, modules provide purpose-built actions that reduce scripting risk, and ad hoc commands enable quick one-off operations when you don’t need a full playbook. You’ll learn why “agentless” matters: Ansible typically uses remote connectivity without requiring a persistent agent on the target, which changes how you troubleshoot connectivity, permissions, and execution context. We also introduce “facts” as the gathered system information Ansible uses to make decisions, because exam questions often hinge on conditional tasks that run only when a host matches certain attributes.
we apply Ansible concepts to operational scenarios and common failure modes. You’ll practice diagnosing why a play fails by separating inventory and grouping mistakes from connectivity and authentication problems, then separating those from module behavior and privilege escalation requirements. We also cover best practices that align with exam intent: prefer modules over raw shell commands for idempotency and predictability, keep inventories organized to reflect environment boundaries, and validate changes in controlled runs rather than improvising on production. Finally, you’ll learn the exam-friendly mental model: Ansible is about expressing intent and achieving consistent state, so troubleshooting starts with “what host did we target,” then “what facts were assumed,” then “what privilege was required,” and only then “what command failed.” Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
