infra/AGENTS.md

AGENTS.md

Guidance for coding agents working in this repository. Project type: Ansible-driven infrastructure, workstation/server provisioning, and user dotfiles.

Repository Map

• Entry playbook: ansible/site.yml
• Inventory: ansible/inventory/hosts.yml
• Group vars: ansible/inventory/group_vars/*.yml
• Host vars: ansible/inventory/host_vars/*.yml
• Shared templates: ansible/templates/**/*.j2
• Roles: ansible/roles/*
• Role assets: ansible/roles/*/{tasks,templates,files,handlers}/
• Dotfiles: dotfiles/
• Scripts: scripts/
• Secrets: secrets/

Topology And Orchestration

• Void desktops: ikaros, nymph
• Ubuntu workstation: deadalus
• Ubuntu server: prometheus
• Most hosts use ansible_connection: local
• Current playbook layering: all -> dotfiles_common, void -> packages_void + services_runit + profile_desktop_common + profile_desktop_i3 + profile_desktop_sway + profile_desktop_hyprland + profile_desktop_host, ubuntu_workstation -> packages_ubuntu + services_systemd + profile_workstation_gnome, ubuntu_server -> packages_ubuntu + services_systemd + profile_server
• Present but currently unwired roles: base, dotfiles

Local Instruction Files

Checked when this file was updated:

• .cursorrules: not present
• .cursor/rules/: not present
• .github/copilot-instructions.md: not present If any of these files appear later, treat them as higher-priority repo-local instructions.

Working Principles

• Preserve the layering all -> OS -> profile -> host
• Prefer minimal, targeted edits over cleanup or refactors
• Preserve idempotency and reproducibility
• Validate on one limited host before broad rollout
• Treat secrets/ as sensitive; never print secret values
• Avoid editing vendored code under dotfiles/desktop/.tmux/plugins/ unless explicitly asked
• Keep ansible/site.yml small; orchestration belongs there, implementation belongs in roles
• Read the relevant inventory, vars, role tasks, templates, files, handlers, and dotfiles before editing

Build, Lint, And Test Commands

There is no compile/build pipeline. Confidence comes from syntax checks, dry runs, linting, and targeted shell validation.

Install tooling if needed:

python3 -m pip install ansible ansible-lint yamllint shellcheck-py
ansible-galaxy collection install community.general

Core validation from the repo root:

ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --syntax-check
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit ikaros --check --diff
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit nymph --check --diff
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit deadalus --check --diff
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit prometheus --check --diff
ansible-lint ansible/site.yml
ansible-lint ansible/roles
yamllint ansible/

Useful execution commands:

ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit ikaros
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit nymph
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit deadalus
ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit prometheus
scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh

Single-Test Equivalents

There is no pytest, Molecule, or unit-test suite. Use the narrowest command matching the changed area.

• Playbook syntax only: ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --syntax-check
• Single host dry run: ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit <host> --check --diff
• Single host, selected tags: ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit <host> --tags <tag1>,<tag2> --check --diff
• Single task restart point: ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --limit <host> --start-at-task "<task name>" --check --diff
• Single role lint: ansible-lint ansible/roles/<role>
• Single YAML file lint: yamllint ansible/path/to/file.yml
• Waybar config validation: python3 -m json.tool dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-sway.jsonc >/dev/null and python3 -m json.tool dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-hyprland.jsonc >/dev/null
• Script syntax/lint: sh -n scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh and shellcheck scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh
• For shell changes outside vendored tmux plugins, prefer validating the touched file with sh -n and shellcheck
• Prefer one limited-host dry run for vars, templates, dotfiles, packages, services, PAM, display manager, and firewall changes

Code Style Guidelines

General

• Keep orchestration in playbooks and implementation in roles
• Prefer declarative modules over imperative shell commands
• Make state transitions explicit
• Avoid unrelated refactors in the same change
• Keep comments sparse and only for non-obvious behavior

YAML And Formatting

• Start YAML files with ---
• Use 2-space indentation; never use tabs
• Keep existing ordering stable when editing lists and maps
• Quote file modes as strings such as "0644", "0755", "0600", "0700"
• Avoid formatting-only churn in untouched sections

Modules, Imports, And Task Structure

• Use FQCN module names such as ansible.builtin.copy, ansible.builtin.template, and community.general.xbps
• Prefer dedicated modules over ansible.builtin.command or ansible.builtin.shell
• Use command only when no module fits; use shell only when shell features are required
• When using command or shell, set changed_when and failed_when when defaults are misleading
• Prefer ansible.builtin.import_tasks for static task composition and include_tasks only for dynamic or conditional includes
• Keep task names imperative, descriptive, and stable enough for --start-at-task
• Tag tasks consistently with existing families such as packages, services, dotfiles, gnome, nvidia, emptty, and dotfiles:*
• Prefer loop with loop_control.label for multi-item tasks
• Use handlers for service restarts when configuration changes should trigger them

Variables, Types, And Naming

• Use snake_case for vars, facts, registered values, and custom facts
• Follow existing families such as common_packages, profile_packages, host_packages, desktop_common_packages, desktop_i3_packages, desktop_sway_packages, desktop_hyprland_packages, desktop_common_dotfiles, desktop_i3_dotfiles, desktop_sway_dotfiles, desktop_hyprland_dotfiles, host_i3_dotfiles, host_sway_dotfiles, host_hyprland_dotfiles, enabled_services, and host_enabled_services
• Keep booleans as booleans, not quoted strings
• Keep structured values as YAML lists/maps, not comma-separated strings
• Guard optional lists with default([]), mappings with default({}), and strings with default('')
• Build managed-user paths from {{ user_home }} where applicable
• Put host-specific overrides in host_vars, not shared group_vars

Templates, Dotfiles, And Shell

• Keep secrets parameterized through vars; never hardcode them in templates or dotfiles
• Prefer role templates/ for variable-driven config and role files/ for static payloads
• Preserve destination paths and permissions unless the task requires a change
• Dotfiles should stay deployable on real machines; avoid repo-only hacks in dotfiles/
• Keep dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-*.jsonc effectively valid JSON even though the format is JSONC, so simple python3 -m json.tool validation continues to work
• Prefer POSIX sh for simple scripts; use Bash only when needed
• Use set -eu in POSIX shell scripts unless there is a clear reason not to
• Quote variable expansions unless intentional splitting is required
• Do not modernize vendored shell code under tmux plugins unless explicitly asked

Error Handling, Safety, And Idempotency

• Fail early with ansible.builtin.fail when prerequisites are missing
• Guard OS-specific, DE-specific, and host-specific behavior with when
• Use no_log: true for passwords, tokens, private keys, and secret-bearing command results
• Use failed_when: false only for intentional probes
• Keep tasks non-interactive unless explicitly user-driven
• Avoid destructive changes in user homes unless clearly required
• For firewall changes, allow required access before enabling the firewall
• Be careful with display-manager and session changes on desktop hosts; validate on one host first
• When running commands as the desktop user, set become_user and the required HOME or session environment explicitly

Area-Specific Notes

• profile_desktop_common manages shared Void desktop bootstrap, emptty, PAM hooks, dotfiles, mail bootstrap, and shared desktop tooling
• profile_desktop_i3 contains the X11/i3 session pieces
• profile_desktop_sway contains the wlroots/Sway session pieces and deploys shared Sway + Waybar dotfiles
• profile_desktop_hyprland contains the optional Hyprland/Wayland session pieces
• profile_desktop_host carries host-specific desktop overrides such as NVIDIA, PRIME wrappers, and host-only WirePlumber config
• Do not auto-restart emptty during playbook runs on active desktop hosts; prefer a manual restart from SSH or another TTY after the run
• dotfiles/desktop/.xinitrc is part of the X11 session bootstrap path; changes there affect login behavior
• dotfiles/desktop/.local/bin/start-sway-session is the Sway session bootstrap path; keep it aligned with DBus, keyring, and host-specific environment overrides
• dotfiles/desktop/.local/bin/start-hyprland-session is the Wayland session bootstrap path; keep it aligned with DBus and keyring expectations
• Waybar is split by compositor: dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-sway.jsonc for Sway, config-hyprland.jsonc for Hyprland, and style.css is shared; do not mix sway/* and hyprland/* modules in the same config
• nymph has special NVIDIA/PRIME handling, a host-specific WirePlumber camera override, host-specific Sway environment overrides, and host-specific kanshi monitor policy; keep host logic guarded by hostname or host vars
• On nymph, Sway workspace placement is intentionally deterministic: in dual-monitor mode workspace 1 belongs to eDP-1 and workspaces 2-10 belong to DP-1; in laptop-only mode all workspaces collapse back to eDP-1 via kanshi exec hooks

Validation Expectations Before Finishing

Default minimum:

ansible-playbook ansible/site.yml --syntax-check

Run a host-limited dry run whenever the change affects a real host profile, package set, service set, session, PAM stack, templates, or dotfiles. If you touched Sway or Hyprland Waybar config, also run:

python3 -m json.tool dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-sway.jsonc >/dev/null
python3 -m json.tool dotfiles/desktop/.config/waybar/config-hyprland.jsonc >/dev/null

If you touched scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh, also run:

sh -n scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh
shellcheck scripts/bootstrap_mail.sh

Agent Workflow Expectations

• Do not revert unrelated worktree changes made by the user
• Keep README.md and AGENTS.md aligned when workflows materially change
• If you add a new operational area, also add the validation command agents should run
• Prefer host-limited validation first: ikaros or nymph for Void desktop work, deadalus for Ubuntu workstation work, and prometheus for server work
• Call out checks you could not run and any follow-up verification needed