Workstation Role #
Purpose #
The workstation role configures a host as a developer/admin workstation with users, development tools, and infrastructure automation tooling.
Capabilities #
User Management #
- Creates dev users with configurable primary/extra groups
- Fetches SSH public keys from GitHub
- Sets up home directories and shell preferences
Development Tools #
| Category | Packages |
|---|---|
| Core | git, vim, tmux, golang |
| ISO/Image | Tools for working with disk images |
| X11 | Display support for GUI tools |
HashiCorp Tools #
Configures the HashiCorp RPM repository and installs:
- Terraform — Infrastructure as code
- Packer — Image building
AI Tools #
- Node.js — Runtime for AI tooling
- Claude Code and other AI assistants
Virtualization #
- Libvirt/KVM support for local VM testing
- Podman for container workflows
Configuration #
Users come from dev_users in inventory (group_vars/workstations.yml). See
Seed Inventory → Workstation users.
Use Cases #
- Builder — Admin environment for running Ansible playbooks
- Dev workstation — Full development environment for infrastructure work
- Build host — Image factory with Packer/Terraform installed
Relationship to Other Roles #
| Role | Relationship |
|---|---|
| base | Workstation depends on base for system packages |
| artifacts | May be co-located to serve build outputs |