packages

Selects the package groups of a host, installs their packages, and, on request, removes the managed packages that no selected group lists any more. AUR packages are built with yay.

Requirements

Arch Linux or CachyOS, Debian or Ubuntu, or Fedora.
Privilege escalation (become: true). AUR builds run as the regular user.
On Arch Linux, the package_manager role first, so multilib is enabled.

Role Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`packages_host_groups`	`null`	Groups of this host, set in `host_vars`. A list replaces the OS and GPU defaults; `null` keeps them.
`packages_group_selection`	undefined	One-run override of the selection. Never extended by detection.
`packages_action`	`install`	`plan` (read-only), `install`, or `reconcile` (install, then remove what the role owns and no longer lists).
`packages_upgrade_system`	`false`	Use `pacman -Syu` whenever packages are installed.
`packages_aur_action`	`install`	`install`, `ask` (confirm each AUR build) or `skip`.
`packages_aur_helper_preference`	`[yay]`	AUR helpers, in order of preference.
`packages_protected`	`[]`	Extra packages that removals never touch.
`packages_state_directory`	`$XDG_STATE_HOME/dotfiles`	Where the saved selection and the owned packages are recorded.
`packages_state_merge_selection`	`false`	Add the selection to the saved one instead of replacing it (partial profiles such as `obs.yml`).
`packages_razer_detection`	`true`	Add `packages_razer_group` when a Razer USB device is connected.
`packages_razer_required_group`	`21_steam`	Group that the selection must hold for the Razer detection to run.
`packages_razer_group`	`25_razer`	Group added by the Razer detection.
`packages_razer_usb_vendor_id`	`'1532'`	Razer's USB vendor ID. Keep it quoted: an integer disables the detection.
`packages_usb_sysfs_devices`	`/sys/bus/usb/devices`	Where the USB devices are read.
`packages_gaming_required_packages`	`ananicy-cpp`, `power-profiles-daemon`, `python-gobject`	Packages the `gaming` role checks before configuring services.

The group lists live in vars/: the OS-family file (archlinux.yml, debian.yml, redhat.yml), then the first matching exact-version, major-version or distribution override (cachyos.yml, debian-13.yml, ubuntu-24.yml). Selection, installation and reconciliation stay in separate task files.

Group selection

tasks/selection.yml only reads the host. The playbooks include it first with the always tag, so every role that reads packages_selected_groups has it, whatever tags are passed.

Groups come from the OS defaults and the detected GPUs. A host with its own packages_host_groups replaces those defaults; the list must be a list, any other type stops the play. packages_group_selection overrides both for one run:

make deploy BECOME_PASS=1 ANSIBLE_ARGS="-e '{\"packages_group_selection\":[\"01_base\",\"03_gtk\"]}'"

Gaming packages

21_steam selects Steam, Gamescope, MangoHud, ananicy-cpp, power-profiles-daemon and python-gobject on Arch Linux and CachyOS. On CachyOS it also selects Proton CachyOS SLR, cachyos-ananicy-rules and cachyos-settings, which provides game-performance. These packages are added only when the facts identify CachyOS, and they must come from the configured CachyOS repositories: the role never builds them from the AUR. cachyos-settings also installs CachyOS system defaults for sysctl, udev and other components (package documentation).

GameMode is excluded from the package lists. An already installed copy can be removed by a reconcile only if the role owns it.

Razer devices

A Razer mouse or keyboard needs OpenRazer for razer_dpi.py. When the selection holds 21_steam, the role reads the idVendor of each USB device and adds 25_razer if one reports Razer's vendor ID. The group installs openrazer-daemon, openrazer-driver-dkms and python-openrazer; the DKMS driver brings the headers of the running kernel with it.

The device has to be plugged in for the first run. Once the saved state records 25_razer, the group stays selected while the device is unplugged or unreadable, so a later reconcile keeps OpenRazer. To remove it, set packages_razer_detection: false in the host's host_vars and reconcile. To install it with no device plugged in, list 25_razer in packages_host_groups. An explicit packages_group_selection is never extended.

dotfiles_openrazer_group and package_services_user_groups_by_group repeat the group name; a test checks that they agree.

Installation

Installation is additive. On Arch Linux a package counts as installed when an installed package provides its name (pacman -T), for example foo-git for foo. Installing does not upgrade the whole system unless multilib was just enabled or packages_upgrade_system is true.

If yay is missing, the role clones its AUR recipe, builds it as the current user, then installs it with privilege escalation. makepkg keeps its package, source, build and log destinations inside that temporary build tree. AUR installation goes through the dotfiles_aur module, without pacman's unsupported --print-format calls.

Reconciliation

packages_action=reconcile removes the packages the role installed and that no selected group lists any more. Removals never touch the built-in base set (base, glibc, pacman, systemd, linux and linux-*, and a few others) or packages_protected. Run --check to preview the changes.

Tag	Runs
`packages`	The whole role.
`packages_install`	Plan and install.
`packages_reconcile`	Plan, install and reconcile.
`yay`	The AUR flow only, without the official repository packages.

Dependencies

None. On Arch Linux, run package_manager before it.

Example Playbook

- hosts: all
  become: true
  pre_tasks:
    - name: Select the package groups of this host
      ansible.builtin.include_role:
        name: packages
        tasks_from: selection
        apply:
          tags: [always]
      tags: [always]
  roles:
    - role: packages
      tags: [packages]

License

Unlicense

Author Information

pad