mpaivabarbosa/molecule-systemd-archlinux repository overview

⁠Arch Linux Container Images for Molecule

Pre-built Arch Linux container images for testing Ansible roles using Molecule.

⁠Available Tags

Rolling Release:

• latest - Arch Linux (rolling release, always up-to-date)

⁠Features

• systemd enabled and configured
• Python 3 and pip pre-installed
• ansible user with passwordless sudo
• Optimized for Molecule testing

⁠Why Arch Linux?

• ✅ Bleeding Edge - Latest software versions, cutting-edge packages
• ✅ Rolling Release - Continuous updates, no version upgrades
• ✅ Pacman - Fast, powerful package manager
• ✅ AUR Support - Largest community-maintained package repository
• ✅ Lightweight - Minimal base, install only what you need
• ✅ Documentation - Excellent Arch Wiki, comprehensive guides

⁠Use Cases

• Testing roles with latest software versions
• Validating compatibility with bleeding-edge packages
• Pacman package manager testing
• AUR helper integration testing
• Rolling release environment validation
• Development and CI/CD with latest tooling

⁠Image Size

⁠Package Management

# Inside container - using pacman
pacman -Syu                      # Full system update
pacman -S package_name           # Install package
pacman -Ss keyword               # Search packages
pacman -R package_name           # Remove package
pacman -Qi package_name          # Package info

⁠Common Issues

Issue: Package conflicts during update

# Arch requires regular full updates
pacman -Syu --noconfirm

Issue: Keyring errors

# Update keyring first
pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring --noconfirm
pacman -Syu --noconfirm

Issue: Breaking changes

# Read Arch Linux news before major updates
# https://archlinux.org/news/

⁠Differences from Other Distributions

⁠Links

• Arch Linux Official⁠
• Arch Wiki⁠
• Pacman Documentation⁠
• AUR (Arch User Repository)⁠
• Arch Linux News⁠

⁠Usage Example

---
platforms:
  - name: archlinux-latest
    image: docker.io/mpaivabarbosa/molecule-systemd-archlinux:latest
    pre_build_image: true
    privileged: true
    command: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd
    volumes:
      - /sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:rw

⁠Important Notes

⚠️ Rolling Release Considerations:

• Images are rebuilt regularly to stay current
• Breaking changes may occur without version bumps
• Always test in CI/CD before production deployment
• Consider pinning specific package versions in your roles

⚠️ Best Practices:

• Run pacman -Syu before installing packages
• Test roles frequently (weekly recommended)
• Monitor Arch Linux news for breaking changes
• Use specific package versions for critical dependencies