Install ansible packages from debian repositories during EE build using ansible-builder

[alexkri]

I am using ansible-builder to build an Execution Environment (EE) and I currently install dependencies via pip like this:

ansible_runner:
  package_pip: ansible-runner==2.3.6
ansible_core:
  package_pip: ansible-core==2.15.10

However, I need to install these and other packages from Debian repositories. Currently, the only workaround I have found is to use additional_build_steps like so:

additional_build_steps:
  prepend_base:
    - RUN apt -y install ansible-runner ansible-core

Is there a more elegant or officially supported method to use Debian repositories for installing system packages during the EE build without having to rely on these extra build steps?

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[kurokobo]

Hi, as far as I know, only RHEL-family OSes are supported as the base image in the first place.

The code was designed for RHEL, and there have been issues with hardcoded commands on other distributions. There seem to be plans to support distributions other than RHEL, but I don’t think they have been released yet.

Refer to this issue:

• Design principles for expanded distro support · Issue #553 · ansible/ansible-builder · GitHub
• Pluggable abstraction of base image interactions and support scripts · Issue #637 · ansible/ansible-builder · GitHub
• Update index.rst with base image OS info by onefourfive · Pull Request #693 · ansible/ansible-builder · GitHub

[felixfontein]

@kurokobo

There seem to be plans to support distributions other than RHEL, but I don’t think they have been released yet.

Is there actually a concrete plan yet? So far I’m only aware of ideas / very abstract plans (the ones you linked), and I’ve never heard about anything more concrete.

[kurokobo]

I’m not sure; I don’t have any information beyond the links that I added in my previous comment