ansible-nas/docs/installation.md

# Installation

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Before running anything, check out the playbook and understand what it does. Run it against a VM and make sure you're happy. ***Do not*** blindly download code from the internet and trust that it's going to work as you expect.

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## Read This First...

Calling this page "installation" is a bit of a misnomer. Ansible-NAS isn't *installed* per-se, it is a bunch of automation that installs other software onto your server. Ansible-NAS relies heavily on Ansible's [variable prescedence](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable) to do its job. Ansible-NAS defines its installable software with roles with (mostly) sane defaults, these can then be enabled and the settings overridden in your inventory `nas.yml` file.

A basic level of understanding of Ansible is required, or you're going to have a confusing time setting up your NAS. If you're willing to learn then great, but please don't raise issues because this is the first time you've looked at Ansible and you don't understand why it's doing what it's doing. I'd love to teach the world Ansible...but I have a day job.

## Running Ansible-NAS

You can run Ansible-NAS from the computer you plan to use for your NAS, or from a remote controlling machine. The steps for deployment are exactly the same, just pay attention to editing the inventory file in step 6.

1. Enable the Ubuntu Universe repository:

    `sudo add-apt-repository universe`

2. Install Ansible:

    `sudo apt update`

    `sudo apt install software-properties-common`

    `sudo apt-add-repository --yes --update ppa:ansible/ansible`

    `sudo apt install ansible`

3. Clone Ansible-NAS:

    `git clone https://github.com/davestephens/ansible-nas.git && cd ansible-nas`

4. Create your own inventory and config files by copying `inventories/sample` to your own directory:

    `cp -rfp inventories/sample inventories/my-ansible-nas`

5. Review `group_vars/all.yml` for general settings and `roles/[application]/defaults/main.yml` for individual applications. Change settings by overriding them in `inventories/my-ansible-nas/group_vars/nas.yml`.

6. Update `inventories/my-ansible-nas/inventory`.

7. Install the dependent roles: `ansible-galaxy install -r requirements.yml` (you might need `sudo` to install Ansible roles).

8. Run the playbook - something like `ansible-playbook -i inventories/my-ansible-nas/inventory nas.yml -b -K` should do you nicely.