Ansible Dev Server Using Code Server

Why use Code Server for Ansible Development

Code Server is an open-source project that lets you run Visual Studio Code on a remote server and access it via a web browser. This means you can have a fully configured Ansible development environment available anywhere, on any device.

Key Benefits

• Work Anywhere: Just open a browser and login.
• Consistent Environment: Every developer works in the same set up.
• Minimal Local Requirements: No local installation, only access via browser.
• Centralized Management: Easy to update and secure in one place.

Architecture Overview

The setup involves:

1. A remote server (VM or EC2) running Code Server.
2. Ansible Development Tools installed in the server environment.
3. Browser Access with authentication and HTTPS for security (for this demo, we will not use HTTPS)

Prerequisites

• A linux-based server or cloud instance (e.g. AWS EC2 or on-prem VM)
• Docker or Podman installed (optional but recommended for containerized development)
• Required port for Code Server access is accessible (e.g add 8080 in Security Group for AWS EC2)
• Domain name (optional) for secure HTTPS access

Install Code Server in Server

1. Download and install Code Server

   curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh
   

2. Start Code Server

   To run in background

   sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@ubuntu
   

   Or if you don’t want a background service to run

   code-server
   

   

3. Configure password authentication, edit ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

   bind-addr: 0.0.0.0:8080
   auth: password
   password: your-secure-password
   

4. Restart Code Server

   To run in background

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl restart code-server@ubuntu
   

   Or if you don’t want a background service to run

   code-server
   

   

5. Access in Browser, visit http://your-server-ip:8080

   Login using the password previously set in the config file.

   Visual Studio Code Workspace from Remote Code Server

6. Install ansible-navigator

   sudo apt install python3-pip
   pip install ansible-navigator --user
   echo 'export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
   source ~/.profile
   

7. Install podman and git

   sudo apt install podman
   sudo apt install git
   podman --version
   git --version
   

8. Deploy base ansible settings

   In VS Code, go to Settings, type in @ext:redhat.ansible

   • You can enable Execution Environment
   • Change the container engine (Docker or Podman), for our case we will use podman
   • Add the Execution Environment Image

   

9. Add ansible extension

   code-server --install-extension redhat.ansible
   

   To see the list of installed extensions

   code-server --list-extensions
   

   To find the code to use for other extensions, refer to VS Code Marketplace

10. Clone sample playbook and test run

    git clone https://github.com/enzobercasio/ansible-demo.git
    

    

Recommendations

• Use HTTPS in production
• Use strong authentication
• Restrict access to trusted IPs when possible
• Keep your Code Server instance updated
• Automate Ansible Dev Server with Ansible
• Refer to official VS Code - Code Server documentation for licensing and other FAQs.

Additional settings

For Podman additional user

sudo vi /etc/subuid
sudo vi /etc/subgid 
sudo podman system migrate

Code Server is a powerful option for Ansible playbook development, giving you flexibility, consistency, and portability. Whether you run it on a VM, in the cloud, it helps you focus on writing automation without worrying about local machine setup.