# Configure Ansible with Nexus

Configure your Ansible Galaxy client to connect to and authenticate to a Nexus Ansible repository. You must create an Ansible repository in Nexus before configuring your client to connect to it. Refer to [Create an Ansible Repository](https://help.sonatype.com/en/create-an-ansible-repository.html "Create an Ansible Repository") for more details.

Ansible Galaxy can be configured through the following methods:

- **Requirements File**

- **Ansible Configuration File**

| Configuration Method                  | Best For                                                                          |
|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Requirements File                     | Installing specific collections, versions, or version ranges from Nexus          |
| Ansible Configuration File            | Defining reusable Nexus repository servers for Ansible Galaxy commands           |

Though both the methods support basic authentication which is `username` and `password`, Sonatype recommends to use token authentication method for enhanced security.

## Requirements File

Use a `requirements.yml` file when you want to define one or more collections and the Nexus repository source for each collection.

Use the following syntax:

```
---
collections:
  - name: <namespace>.<collection_name>
    version: "<version>"
    source: <nexus_repository_url>
```

Where,

- `<namespace>` \- Collection namespace

- `<collection_name>` \- Collection name

- `<version>` \- Collection version or version range. Omit this field to install the latest available version

- `<nexus_repository_url>` \- Nexus Ansible repository URL

Example:

```
---
collections:
  - name: community.general
    version: "8.0.0"
    source: http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-proxy/

- name: myorg.mycollection
    source: http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-hosted/

- name: nginxinc.nginx_core
    version: ">=2.0.0,<3.0.0"
    source: http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-group/
```

For protected repositories, include a Base64-encoded token in the requirements file.

```
---
collections:
  - name: <namespace>.<collection_name>
    source: <nexus_repository_url>
    token: "<base64_token>"
```

Where,

- `<namespace>` \- Collection namespace

- `<collection_name>` \- Collection name

- `<nexus_repository_url>` \- Nexus Ansible repository URL

- `<base64_token>` \- Base64-encoded `username:password` value. Note that Ansible Galaxy Bearer Token Realm (`AnsibleGalaxyToken`) must be added to the Active realms as documented in [Realms](https://help.sonatype.com/en/realms.html "Realms").

Example:

```
---
collections:
  - name: private.collection
    source: http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-private/
    token: "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
```

## Ansible Configuration File

Use an `ansible.cfg` file when you want to configure reusable Nexus repository servers for Ansible Galaxy commands.

```
[defaults]
collections_path = <collections_path>

[galaxy]
server_list = <server_name>

[galaxy_server.<server_name>]
url = <nexus_repository_url>
token = "<base64_token>"
```

Where,

- `<collections_path>` \- Local path where Ansible installs collections

- `<server_name>` \- Local name for the Nexus repository server configuration

- `<nexus_repository_url>` \- Nexus Ansible Galaxy repository URL

- `<base64_token>` \- Base64-encoded `username:password` value. Note that you need to add `AnsibleGalaxyBearerTokenRealm` to Active Realms.

Example:

```
[defaults]
collections_path = ./collections

[galaxy]
server_list = nexus_proxy, nexus_hosted

[galaxy_server.nexus_proxy]
url = http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-proxy/
token = "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

[galaxy_server.nexus_hosted]
url = http://example.nexus.com/repository/ansible-hosted/
token = "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
```

## Search results

No results found.