In this article, we'll try to learn how we can manage both our applications and our dotfiles with Ansible for multiple different Linux distributions. Our goal is to create a starting point rather than a full system. We'll build an example with a clear, simple structure that we can extend as we like.

To understand the article and run the examples, you need to know a bit of Ansible. Our goal is not so much to learn Ansible as to build a simple example of how we can use Ansible on our personal systems.

In the article, we'll also see the Collection structure, one of Ansible's features. Basically, our goal is that when we install a Linux distribution from scratch, the applications we use get installed and all our settings get applied. And, if possible, to be able to run it on different distributions as well.

What Is an Ansible Collection?…