How to Set Up Semaphore UI for Ansible

How to Set Up Semaphore UI for Ansible

Semaphore provides a web-based interface for running Ansible playbooks, making it easier to manage automation across your Breeze fleet without relying on the command line for every task.

Installation

Install Semaphore on a dedicated management Breeze:

wget https://github.com/semaphoreui/semaphore/releases/download/v2.9.0/semaphore_2.9.0_linux_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i semaphore_2.9.0_linux_amd64.deb

Initial Setup

Run the interactive setup to configure the database and admin user:

semaphore setup

You will be prompted for a database backend (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or BoltDB), an admin username, and a password. For production use, choose MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Running as a Service

Create a systemd unit file at /etc/systemd/system/semaphore.service:

[Unit]
Description=Semaphore Ansible UI
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/semaphore server --config /etc/semaphore/config.json
User=semaphore
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now semaphore

Key Features

• Schedule playbook runs on a cron-like schedule
• Track execution history with detailed logs for each run
• Manage SSH keys and inventory files through the UI
• Set up team access with role-based permissions
• Receive notifications on task completion or failure

Access the dashboard at http://your-breeze-ip:3000 and configure your first project by adding a Git repository containing your playbooks.