computer-playbook/roles/update

Package update

Description

Operating-system package managers such as apt, pacman and dnf keep installed software in sync with their upstream distribution repositories. Each one ships with a different command surface but they all serve the same goal: refresh the index and upgrade every installed package on the host.

Overview

This role refreshes the package index and upgrades every installed package on the host. tasks/main.yml reads ansible_facts['distribution'] and dispatches to one of three task files grouped by package-manager family. Debian and Ubuntu both use apt, Fedora and CentOS both use dnf, so each pair shares a single task file. A separate unsupported.yml fails loudly with a clear message when a host runs a distribution that this role does not yet cover.

ansible_facts['distribution']	Task file	Module
Archlinux	arch.yml	community.general.pacman
Debian / Ubuntu	debian.yml	ansible.builtin.apt
Fedora / CentOS	fedora.yml	ansible.builtin.dnf
anything else	unsupported.yml	ansible.builtin.fail

Features

• Per-family dispatch: Routes by ansible_facts['distribution'] so the caller never has to gate the role with a when: clause.
• Five-distro coverage: Supports the five default CI distros (Archlinux, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS) without duplicated task code.
• Loud on unsupported hosts: Fails with a clear message instead of silently skipping when the host runs an unmapped distribution.
• Once-per-play idempotency: Wraps the dispatch in when: run_once_update is not defined and writes the flag via tasks/utils/once/flag.yml, so repeated invocations within one play are no-ops.

Developer Notes

To extend support for a new distribution, add the distribution name to the lookup dict in main.yml. When the new distribution shares a package manager with an existing entry, point it at that entry's task file. When it brings a new package manager, add a new family file under tasks/ and keep meta/main.yml platforms in sync.

Further Resources

• apt
• pacman
• dnf
• community.general.pacman
• ansible.builtin.apt
• ansible.builtin.dnf

Credits

Developed and maintained by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Learn more at veen.world. Part of the Infinito.Nexus Project. Licensed under the Infinito.Nexus Community License (Non-Commercial).