Infrastructure Automation for Schools
Simple commands. Transparent code. Built for education.
Why Ahab?
Lower Costs
Free for schools and non-profits. No expensive consultants needed for basic operations.
Educational
Learn real DevOps skills. Every command teaches. Documentation designed for learning.
Transparent
See the code. Review before running. No black boxes. We document failures and successes.
AI-Assisted
Built with AI from human requirements. Demonstrates what's possible with AI-driven development.
What Can You Deploy?
Web Servers
Apache, Nginx - One command deployment
make install apache
Databases
MySQL, PostgreSQL - Coming soon
make install mysql
Workstations
Development environments with Docker & Ansible
make install
Your Ideas
Modular system - add your own services
make install yourservice
Quick Start (15 Minutes)
Install Prerequisites
# On Mac
brew install git vagrant virtualbox
# On Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install git vagrant virtualbox
Clone Repository
git clone https://github.com/waltdundore/ansible-control.git
cd ansible-control
Deploy
# Create workstation VM
make install
# Deploy Apache web server
make install apache
# Access at http://localhost:8080
How It Works
Simple Commands
Type make install apache
Ansible Automation
Playbooks configure everything
Docker Containers
Services run isolated and portable
Working Service
Access your deployed application
For Students & Teachers
Learn by Doing
Deploy real services. See how infrastructure works. Build portfolio projects.
Real Tools
Same tools used at Google, Amazon, Netflix. Ansible, Docker, Git, Linux.
Safe to Experiment
Virtual machines mean you can't break anything. Delete and recreate anytime.
Student README Available
Step-by-step guide designed for high school students learning computer science.
Read Student GuideRadical Transparency
AI-Built Code
This project is built by AI (Kiro/Claude) from human requirements. We're transparent about how modern software is created.
Homelab Testing
We test in homelabs, not production. We're building toward production use and documenting the journey.
We Document Failures
See our Lessons Learned. We don't hide mistakes.
Open Source
Review the code. Modify it. Learn from it. Free for education under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Documentation
GitHub Repository
ansible-control
Main repository with all code, playbooks, modules, and documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this production-ready?
No. This is alpha software being tested in homelabs. We're building toward production use for schools and documenting the process.
Is it really free for schools?
Yes. Free for K-12 schools, non-profits, and educational institutions under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. For-profit entities need to negotiate commercial terms.
What if I find a bug?
Report it on GitHub Issues. We document all issues transparently.
Can I contribute?
Yes! Fork the repository, make changes, submit pull requests. See Development Rules.
Why is it called Ahab?
Automated Host Administration & Build. Also, we're chasing the white whale of perfect infrastructure automation.