Cc-devops-skills ansible-generator

Generate, create, or scaffold Ansible playbooks, roles, tasks, handlers, inventory, vars.

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/akin-ozer/cc-devops-skills
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/akin-ozer/cc-devops-skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/devops-skills-plugin/skills/ansible-generator" ~/.claude/skills/akin-ozer-cc-devops-skills-ansible-generator && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: devops-skills-plugin/skills/ansible-generator/SKILL.md
source content

Ansible Generator

Trigger Phrases

Use this skill when the request is to generate or scaffold Ansible content, for example:

  • "Create a playbook to deploy nginx with TLS."
  • "Generate an Ansible role for PostgreSQL backups."
  • "Write inventory files for prod and staging."
  • "Build reusable Ansible tasks for user provisioning."
  • "Initialize an Ansible project with ansible.cfg and requirements.yml."
  • "Give me a quick Ansible snippet to install Docker."

Do not use this skill as the primary workflow when the request is validation/debug-only (syntax errors, lint failures, Molecule/test failures). Use

ansible-validator
for those cases.

Deterministic Execution Flow

Run these stages in order. Do not skip a stage unless the

Validation Exceptions Matrix
explicitly allows it.

Stage 0: Classify Request Mode

Determine one mode first:

ModeTypical user intentDeliverable
full-generation
"create/build/generate" a full playbook/role/inventory/project file setComplete file(s), production-ready
snippet-only
"quick snippet/example" without full file contextFocused task/play snippet
docs-only
explanation, pattern comparison, or conceptual guidance onlyExplanatory content, optional examples

Stage 1: Collect Minimum Inputs

If details are missing, ask briefly. If the user does not provide them, proceed with safe defaults and state assumptions.

Resource typeRequired inputsSafe defaults if missing
Playbooktarget hosts, privilege (
become
), OS family, objective
hosts: all
,
become: false
, OS-agnostic modules
Rolerole name, primary service/package, supported OSrole name from task domain, Debian + RedHat vars
Tasks fileoperation scope, required vars, execution contextstandalone reusable tasks with documented vars
Inventoryenvironments, host groups, hostnames/IPs
production
/
staging
groups with placeholders
Project configcollections/roles dependencies, lint policyminimal
ansible.cfg
,
requirements.yml
,
.ansible-lint

Stage 2: Reference Extraction Checklist

Before drafting content, extract the following from local references/templates.

Required references

  • references/best-practices.md
    • Extract: FQCN requirements, idempotency rules, naming, security expectations.
  • references/module-patterns.md
    • Extract: correct module/parameter patterns for the exact task type.

Required templates by output type

  • Playbook:
    assets/templates/playbook/basic_playbook.yml
  • Role:
    assets/templates/role/
    (including
    meta/argument_specs.yml
    and
    molecule/default/
    for test scaffolding)
  • Inventory (INI):
    assets/templates/inventory/hosts
  • Inventory (YAML):
    assets/templates/inventory/hosts.yml
  • Project config:
    assets/templates/project/ansible.cfg
    ,
    assets/templates/project/requirements.yml
    ,
    assets/templates/project/.ansible-lint

Extraction checks

  • Identify every
    [PLACEHOLDER]
    that must be replaced.
  • Decide module selection priority (
    ansible.builtin.*
    first).
  • Capture at least one OS-appropriate package pattern when OS-specific behavior is needed.
  • Capture required prerequisites (collections, binaries, target assumptions).

Stage 3: Generate

Apply these generation standards:

  1. Use FQCN module names (
    ansible.builtin.*
    first choice).
  2. Keep tasks idempotent (
    state
    ,
    creates/removes
    ,
    changed_when
    when needed).
  3. Use descriptive verb-first task names.
  4. Use
    true
    /
    false
    booleans (not
    yes
    /
    no
    ).
  5. Add
    no_log: true
    for sensitive values.
  6. Replace all placeholders before presenting output.
  7. Prefer
    ansible.builtin.dnf
    for RHEL 8+/CentOS 8+ (legacy
    yum
    only for older systems).

Stage 4: Validate (Default) or Apply Exception (Fallback)

Use the matrix below to keep validation deterministic and non-blocking.

Validation Exceptions Matrix

ScenarioDefault behaviorAllowed fallbackWhat to report
full-generation
Run
ansible-validator
after generation and after each fix pass
If validator/tools are unavailable, run manual static checks (YAML shape, placeholder scan, FQCN/idempotency/security review) and provide exact deferred validation commandsExplicitly list which checks ran, which were skipped, and why
snippet-only
Skip full validator by default; do inline sanity checksRun full validator only if user asks or snippet is promoted to full fileState that validation was limited because output is snippet-only
docs-only
No runtime validationNone neededState that no executable artifact was generated
Offline environment (no web/docs access)Continue with local references and templatesSkip external doc lookups; prefer builtin-module implementations; provide notes for later external verificationState offline constraint and impacted checks/lookups

Resource Generation Guidance

Playbooks

  • Use
    assets/templates/playbook/basic_playbook.yml
    as structure.
  • Include: header comments,
    pre_tasks
    /
    tasks
    /
    post_tasks
    as needed, handlers, tags.
  • Add health checks when service deployment/configuration is involved.

Roles

  • Build from
    assets/templates/role/
    structure.
  • Keep defaults in
    defaults/main.yml
    ; keep higher-priority role vars in
    vars/main.yml
    .
  • Include OS-specific vars (
    vars/Debian.yml
    ,
    vars/RedHat.yml
    ) when relevant.
  • Add
    meta/argument_specs.yml
    for variable validation.
  • Include
    molecule/default/
    scaffold (from
    assets/templates/role/molecule/
    ) for production-ready roles.

Task Files

  • Keep scope narrow and reusable.
  • Document required input variables in comments.
  • Use conditionals for environment/OS-sensitive operations.

Inventory

  • Build logical host groups and optional group hierarchies.
  • Use variable layering intentionally:
    group_vars/all.yml
    -> group -> host.
  • Default to INI format (
    hosts
    ) for simple topologies; use YAML format (
    hosts.yml
    ) when the user requests it or when the hierarchy is complex.

Project Configuration

  • Provide baseline
    ansible.cfg
    ,
    requirements.yml
    , and
    .ansible-lint
    .
  • Keep defaults practical and editable.

Custom Modules and Collections

When the request depends on non-builtin modules/collections:

  1. Identify collection + module and required version sensitivity.
  2. Check local
    references/module-patterns.md
    first.
  3. If still unresolved and network/tools are available, query Context7:
    • mcp__context7__resolve-library-id
    • mcp__context7__query-docs
  4. If Context7 is unavailable, use official Ansible docs / Ansible Galaxy pages.
  5. If external lookup is unavailable, provide a builtin fallback approach and state the limitation.

Always include collection installation guidance when collection modules are used.

Canonical Example Flows

Flow A: Full Generation (Playbook)

User prompt: "Create a playbook to deploy nginx with TLS on Ubuntu and RHEL."

  1. Classify as
    full-generation
    .
  2. Gather/confirm required inputs (hosts, cert paths, become, service name).
  3. Extract required references (
    best-practices.md
    ,
    module-patterns.md
    ) and playbook template.
  4. Generate complete playbook with OS conditionals (
    apt
    /
    dnf
    ), handlers, validation for config templates.
  5. Run
    ansible-validator
    .
  6. Fix issues and rerun until checks pass (or apply matrix fallback if tooling unavailable).
  7. Present output with validation summary, usage command, and prerequisites.

Flow B: Quick Snippet (Task Block)

User prompt: "Give me a snippet to create a user and SSH key."

  1. Classify as
    snippet-only
    .
  2. Extract minimal module patterns for
    ansible.builtin.user
    and
    ansible.builtin.authorized_key
    .
  3. Generate concise snippet with FQCN, idempotency, and variable placeholders.
  4. Perform inline sanity checks (YAML shape, FQCN, obvious idempotency/security).
  5. Present snippet and note that full validator run was skipped due to snippet-only mode.

Output Requirements

For generated executable artifacts, use this response structure:

## Generated [Resource Type]: [Name]

**Validation Status:** [Passed / Partially validated / Skipped with reason]
- YAML syntax: [status]
- Ansible syntax: [status]
- Lint: [status]

**Summary:**
- [What was generated]
- [Key implementation choices]

**Assumptions:**
- [Defaults or inferred values]

**Usage:**
```bash
[Exact command(s)]

Prerequisites:

  • [Collections, binaries, environment needs]

## Done Criteria

This skill execution is complete only when all applicable items are true:

- Trigger decision is explicit (`full-generation`, `snippet-only`, or `docs-only`).
- Required references/templates were consulted for the selected artifact type.
- Generated output has no unresolved placeholders.
- Validation followed default behavior or a documented exception from the matrix.
- Any skipped checks include a concrete reason and deferred command(s).
- Final output includes summary, assumptions, usage, and prerequisites.