Linux on ayyzenn

Ansible for Beginners: My First Real Automation

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is Ansible? (In Simple Words)

Think of Ansible as a remote control for your servers.

Instead of:

SSH into server
Run commands manually
Forget what you changed
Repeat the same steps again and again

You tell Ansible:

“Hey, I want this server to look like this.”

And Ansible makes it happen — again and again, without breaking things.

The best part?

No agent needed
Just SSH
Simple YAML files
Very human-readable

My Setup (Real World)

This is exactly what I used:

Gentoo Install: What I Did on My Laptop

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Why I Installed Gentoo

Processor: Intel Core i5 4th Gen (4 cores)
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB SSD

I’ll be using the Minimal ISO because I like full control over my system, but if you prefer a GUI installer, that’s totally fine too!

Step 1: Grab the Gentoo ISO

Head over to Gentoo’s official website and download the ISO. You’ll see two options:

GUI Installer (if you want an easier time)
Minimal (CLI) Installer (if you want to go full pro mode)

For this guide, we’re going Minimal. Let’s get our hands dirty!

ProFTPD on Ubuntu: Setting Up FTP

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What I Set Up

I needed a simple FTP server on Ubuntu for file transfers. ProFTPD did the job. This is my setup — on Arch you’d install with sudo pacman -S proftpd and edit the same config path.

Plain FTP is not encrypted. For anything serious, use SFTP over SSH instead.

Installing ProFTPD

Getting ProFTPD set up is pretty simple. Just run:

sudo apt-get install proftpd

Configuring ProFTPD

Once it’s installed, you’ll need to tweak the config file. Open it up with:

SSH: How I Connect to Remote Servers

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why I Use SSH

SSH is how I control another machine from my terminal. I use it to manage servers, copy files, and run commands on remote systems without sitting in front of them.

For Windows remote desktop you use RDP. For Linux, SSH is the standard.

How SSH Works (Short Version)

Client — on your laptop (where you type)
Server — on the remote machine (what you connect to)

You run ssh user@ip, enter your password (or use a key), and you get a shell on the remote box.

Dual Boot Ubuntu and Windows: What I Did

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why I Dual-Booted

I needed Windows for some things and Linux for everything else. Instead of picking one, I installed Ubuntu alongside Windows on the same machine. This is the process I followed.

Steps to Dual Boot Ubuntu with Windows

Step 1: Prepare a Bootable USB Drive

Download the latest Ubuntu ISO from the official Ubuntu website.
Download and install Rufus or balenaEtcher to create a bootable USB.
Insert a USB drive (at least 8GB) into your computer.
Open Rufus or balenaEtcher:
- Select the Ubuntu ISO file.
- Choose the USB drive.
- Click “Start” to create the bootable drive.

Step 2: Configure BIOS/UEFI Settings

Restart your computer and enter BIOS/UEFI by pressing a specific key (usually F2, F12, Del, or Esc) during startup.
Look for Boot Order/Boot Priority and set the USB drive as the first boot device.
Disable Secure Boot (if enabled) under the Security tab.
Enable UEFI mode (recommended) instead of Legacy mode.
Save changes and exit BIOS.

Step 3: Boot from the USB Drive

Insert the bootable USB drive into your computer.
Restart the system and press the Boot Menu key (F12, F9, Esc, or as per your motherboard).
Select the bootable USB drive from the list.
Press Enter to boot into Ubuntu Live.

Step 4: Try or Install Ubuntu

Once the Ubuntu installer loads, you will see two options:
- Try Ubuntu – Runs Ubuntu without installing it.
- Install Ubuntu – Proceeds with the installation.
Click on Install Ubuntu to continue.

Step 5: Select Keyboard Layout

Choose your preferred keyboard layout and language.
Click Continue.

Step 6: Connect to Wi-Fi (Optional)

Select your Wi-Fi network.
Enter the password and click Continue.

Step 7: Choose Installation Type

Select Normal Installation (recommended).
Check the box Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3, and other media.
Click Continue.

Step 8: Choose Installation Method

Select Something else (for manual partitioning).
Click Continue.

Step 9: Create Partitions for Ubuntu

Ubuntu requires three main partitions: