# Development Setup Manifest
**Version:** 1.0  
**Target Environment:** Ansible Control Node & Local Workstation

This document outlines the software and configurations required to develop, lint, and execute Ansible playbooks within this ecosystem.

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## 1. CLI Tools (The Engine Room)

These tools must be installed on your **Control Node**. If you are developing locally, they should also be installed on your workstation.

| Tool | Function | Purpose | Cost |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Ansible-Core** | Execution Engine | Processes YAML playbooks and manages SSH connections. | Free |
| **Ansible-Lint** | Static Analysis | Validates code against best practices and idempotency rules. | Free |
| **Molecule** | Testing Framework | Runs playbooks against temporary containers to verify roles. | Free |
| **Ansible-Vault** | Secret Management | Encrypts sensitive data (passwords/API keys) at rest. | Free |
| **Proxmoxer** | Python API Library | Allows Ansible to communicate with the Proxmox VE API. | Free |
| **ssh-pass** | Auth Utility | Enables password-based login during the initial key-copy phase. | Free |

### Installation Command (Debian/Ubuntu)
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y ansible ansible-lint sshpass python3-pip
pip3 install proxmoxer --break-system-packages
```

---

## 2. VSCode Extensions (The Cockpit)

For the best development experience, install these extensions in Visual Studio Code.

### **Ansible (by Red Hat)**
* **What it does:** Provides syntax highlighting, jinja2 auto-completion, and direct linting integration.
* **Why you want it:** It catches "broken" YAML and missing parameters while you type.
* **Cost:** Free

### **YAML (by Red Hat)**
* **What it does:** Validates the structure of `.yml` and `.yaml` files.
* **Why you want it:** Ansible is hypersensitive to indentation; this extension prevents 90% of syntax errors.
* **Cost:** Free

### **GitLens (by GitKraken)**
* **What it does:** Provides "blame" annotations and repository heatmaps.
* **Why you want it:** Crucial for tracking *why* a system configuration was changed three months ago.
* **Cost:** Free Core (Pro features available via sub)

### **Remote - SSH (by Microsoft)**
* **What it does:** Connects VSCode directly to your Control Node over SSH.
* **Why you want it:** Allows you to code on your main PC but use the environment/tools installed on the Control Node.
* **Cost:** Free

---

## 3. Configuration Files

To ensure the tools above work correctly, the following files should exist in your project root:

1.  **`.ansible-lint`**: Defines the "Safety" profile to enforce architecture standards.
2.  **`ansible.cfg`**: Configures default inventory paths and SSH behavior.
3.  **`.ssh/id_ed25519`**: The private key used for node authentication.

---

## 4. LLM Context Hook
When using an LLM to generate code for this project, provide the following context to ensure compatibility:

> "My environment uses **Ansible-Core** with the **Proxmoxer** API library. I enforce standards via **Ansible-Lint** using the **safety** profile. All playbooks must pass these checks and use **ED25519** keys for authentication."