Recently, two intriguing LLM models released on the chat.lmsys.org platform: "im-a-good-gpt2-chatbot" and "im-also-a-good-gpt2-chatbot". While the prevailing thought is that these models might be coming out of OpenAI, they were released without attribution, interesting so many of us in their capabilities. To assess their performance and potential, I decided to challenge both models to create an Ansible playbook for a fun homelab project, using my existing Ansible directory structure as a guide.
The purpose of this challenge is to evaluate the ability of these LLM models to generate well-structured, practical, and comprehensive Ansible playbooks based on a given prompt and directory structure. By comparing their responses, I hoped to gain insights into each LLM's overall effectiveness...and to frankly have some fun.
To provide the models with a clear understanding of my preferred Ansible project structure, I shared the following directory tree (slightly redacted, but largely representative):
.
├── ansible.cfg
├── inventory
│ ├── group_vars
│ │ ├── all.yml
│ │ └── raspberrypi.yml
│ ├── production
│ │ └── hosts
│ └── staging
│ └── hosts
├── playbooks
│ └── raspi_cleanup
│ └── cleanup_restore_raspi_to_default.yaml
├── requirements.yml
├── roles
│ └── raspi_cleanup
│ ├── defaults
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── files
│ ├── handlers
│ ├── meta
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── tasks
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── templates
│ └── vars
│ └── main.yml
└── scripts
├── create_ansible_project.sh
└── create_inventory.sh
I presented each model with the following prompt:
Help me write an ansible playbook and accompanying files for a fun homelab project of your choice, but ensure that it's done thoroughly leveraging the structure of my current ansible directory so you can get an idea of how I want to structure new projects: [tree pasted here]
Summary: Model A created a comprehensive media server setup using Docker, Docker Compose, and popular applications like Plex, Sonarr, Radarr, and Transmission.
Brief Analysis: The response was well-organized, adhered to Ansible best practices, and included a detailed playbook, role, inventory adjustments, and execution instructions. Model A demonstrated a strong understanding of the given directory structure and generated a thorough solution.
Click to expand Model A's response
Given your existing Ansible structure and preferences, let's create a fun and practical homelab project. We'll set up a **Media Server** using **Docker**, **Docker Compose**, and **Portainer** for easy container management. This setup will help you host and manage various media applications like Plex, Sonarr, Radarr, and Transmission in a structured and maintainable way.
Here’s how we’ll structure this project within your existing Ansible setup:
### Project Overview
- **Project Name**: `media_server_setup`
- **Key Components**:
- **Docker**: To run containers.
- **Docker Compose**: To manage multi-container Docker applications.
- **Portainer**: To provide a web-based UI for Docker.
- **Plex**: For media playback.
- **Sonarr**: For TV series management.
- **Radarr**: For movies management.
- **Transmission**: For downloading torrents.
### Directory Structure
We will create the following structure under the `playbooks` and `roles` directories:
```
playbooks/
└── media_server_setup
└── deploy_media_server.yml
roles/
└── media_server_setup
├── defaults
│ └── main.yml
├── files
│ └── docker-compose.yml
├── handlers
│ └── main.yml
├── tasks
│ └── main.yml
├── templates
└── vars
└── main.yml
```
### Step-by-Step Implementation
#### 1. Define the Playbook
**File**: `playbooks/media_server_setup/deploy_media_server.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Deploy Media Server
hosts: media_servers
become: yes
roles:
- media_server_setup
```
#### 2. Role Variables
**File**: `roles/media_server_setup/defaults/main.yml`
```yaml
---
# Docker and application versions
docker_compose_version: "1.29.2"
plex_version: "latest"
sonarr_version: "latest"
radarr_version: "latest"
transmission_version: "latest"
# Configuration directories
media_server_directory: "/opt/media_server"
docker_compose_file: "{{ media_server_directory }}/docker-compose.yml"
```
**File**: `roles/media_server_setup/vars/main.yml`
```yaml
---
# This file can hold any variables specific to the media server setup that you want to override from defaults.
```
#### 3. Main Task to Set Up the Media Server
**File**: `roles/media_server_setup/tasks/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Ensure Docker is installed
ansible.builtin.package:
name: docker
state: present
- name: Install Docker Compose
ansible.builtin.get_url:
url: "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/{{ docker_compose_version }}/docker-compose-{{ ansible_system }}-{{ ansible_architecture }}"
dest: "/usr/local/bin/docker-compose"
mode: '0755'
- name: Ensure the media server directory exists
ansible.builtin.file:
path: "{{ media_server_directory }}"
state: directory
mode: '0755'
- name: Deploy Docker Compose file
ansible.builtin.template:
src: docker-compose.yml
dest: "{{ docker_compose_file }}"
- name: Pull and start up all containers
ansible.builtin.command:
cmd: docker-compose -f "{{ docker_compose_file }}" up -d
args:
chdir: "{{ media_server_directory }}"
```
#### 4. Handlers to Manage Services
**File**: `roles/media_server_setup/handlers/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: restart docker
ansible.builtin.service:
name: docker
state: restarted
```
#### 5. Docker Compose Template
**File**: `roles/media_server_setup/files/docker-compose.yml`
```yaml
version: '3.8'
services:
portainer:
image: portainer/portainer-ce
container_name: portainer
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "9000:9000"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
- portainer_data:/data
plex:
image: plexinc/pms-docker:{{ plex_version }}
container_name: plex
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "32400:32400"
volumes:
- ./data/plex:/config
- ./media:/media
sonarr:
image: linuxserver/sonarr:{{ sonarr_version }}
container_name: sonarr
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "8989:8989"
volumes:
- ./data/sonarr:/config
- ./media/tv:/tv
- ./downloads:/downloads
radarr:
image: linuxserver/radarr:{{ radarr_version }}
container_name: radarr
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "7878:7878"
volumes:
- ./data/radarr:/config
- ./media/movies:/movies
- ./downloads:/downloads
transmission:
image: linuxserver/transmission:{{ transmission_version }}
container_name: transmission
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "9091:9091"
- "51413:51413"
- "51413:51413/udp"
volumes:
- ./data/transmission:/config
- ./downloads:/downloads
volumes:
portainer_data:
```
### Inventory Adjustments
Make sure your `inventory/production/hosts` or `inventory/staging/hosts` files have a group `[media_servers]` with the IPs or hostnames of the servers where you want to deploy this setup.
```ini
[media_servers]
192.168.1.100
192.168.1.101
```
### Execution
To execute this playbook, navigate to your Ansible directory and run:
```bash
ansible-playbook playbooks/media_server_setup/deploy_media_server.yml -i inventory/production/hosts
```
### Conclusion
This setup gives you a robust starting point for a media server in your homelab. You can extend the `docker-compose.yml` with more services as needed, and update your roles and playbooks to customize further. This project structure and approach keep your configurations maintainable and clear.
Summary: Model B designed a Grafana monitoring stack integrated with Prometheus for system metrics collection.
Brief Analysis: While the response was well-structured, it didn't quite match the level of detail and organization provided by Model A. However, the inclusion of the node_exporter role showed an understanding of monitoring stack components.
Click to expand Model B's response
Here's a detailed Ansible playbook and accompanying files for a fun homelab project. For this, let's set up a **Grafana** monitoring system on a dedicated server. Grafana is great for visualizing data from various sources like Prometheus, InfluxDB, etc. We'll also include Prometheus to gather system metrics.
### Directory Structure - Update
```
.
├── ansible.cfg
├── inventory
│ ├── group_vars
│ │ ├── all.yml
│ │ ├── grafana.yml
│ │ └── prometheus.yml
│ ├── production
│ │ └── hosts
│ └── staging
│ └── hosts
├── playbooks
│ └── monitoring_stack
│ └── deploy_monitoring_stack.yml
└── roles
├── grafana
│ ├── defaults
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── files
│ ├── handlers
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── meta
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── tasks
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── templates
│ │ └── grafana.ini.j2
│ └── vars
│ └── main.yml
├── prometheus
│ ├── defaults
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── files
│ ├── handlers
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── meta
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── tasks
│ │ └── main.yml
│ ├── templates
│ │ └── prometheus.yml.j2
│ └── vars
│ └── main.yml
└── node_exporter
├── defaults
│ └── main.yml
├── files
├── handlers
│ └── main.yml
├── meta
│ └── main.yml
├── tasks
│ └── main.yml
└── templates
└── node_exporter.service.j2
```
### Inventory Files
#### `inventory/production/hosts`
```ini
[monitoring]
monitoring-node-1 ansible_host=<YOUR_SERVER_IP> ansible_user=<YOUR_USER>
```
#### `inventory/group_vars/all.yml`
```yaml
---
ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
```
#### `inventory/group_vars/grafana.yml`
```yaml
---
grafana_version: "9.2.5"
grafana_admin_password: "admin"
```
#### `inventory/group_vars/prometheus.yml`
```yaml
---
prometheus_version: "2.41.0"
node_exporter_version: "1.5.0"
```
### Playbook
#### `playbooks/monitoring_stack/deploy_monitoring_stack.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Deploy Monitoring Stack
hosts: monitoring
become: true
roles:
- prometheus
- grafana
- node_exporter
```
### Roles
#### Prometheus Role
##### `roles/prometheus/defaults/main.yml`
```yaml
---
prometheus_version: "2.41.0"
node_exporter_version: "1.5.0"
```
##### `roles/prometheus/handlers/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Restart Prometheus
service:
name: prometheus
state: restarted
```
##### `roles/prometheus/meta/main.yml`
```yaml
---
dependencies: []
```
##### `roles/prometheus/tasks/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Download Prometheus
get_url:
url: "https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v{{ prometheus_version }}/prometheus-{{ prometheus_version }}.linux-amd64.tar.gz"
dest: "/tmp/prometheus.tar.gz"
- name: Extract Prometheus
unarchive:
src: "/tmp/prometheus.tar.gz"
dest: "/usr/local/"
remote_src: true
notify: Restart Prometheus
- name: Create Prometheus user
user:
name: prometheus
shell: /usr/sbin/nologin
- name: Create directories
file:
path: "{{ item }}"
state: directory
owner: prometheus
group: prometheus
with_items:
- /etc/prometheus
- /var/lib/prometheus
- name: Copy Prometheus binary
copy:
src: "/usr/local/prometheus-{{ prometheus_version }}.linux-amd64/prometheus"
dest: "/usr/local/bin/prometheus"
owner: prometheus
group: prometheus
mode: "0755"
- name: Copy Prometheus config
template:
src: prometheus.yml.j2
dest: /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
notify: Restart Prometheus
- name: Create systemd service
copy:
content: |
[Unit]
Description=Prometheus
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
User=prometheus
Group=prometheus
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/prometheus --config.file=/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml --storage.tsdb.path=/var/lib/prometheus
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
dest: /etc/systemd/system/prometheus.service
notify: Restart Prometheus
- name: Enable and start Prometheus
systemd:
name: prometheus
enabled: true
state: started
```
##### `roles/prometheus/templates/prometheus.yml.j2`
```yaml
---
global:
scrape_interval: 15s
scrape_configs:
- job_name: 'prometheus'
static_configs:
- targets: ['localhost:9090']
- job_name: 'node_exporter'
static_configs:
- targets: ['localhost:9100']
```
##### `roles/prometheus/vars/main.yml`
```yaml
---
prometheus_version: "2.41.0"
```
#### Grafana Role
##### `roles/grafana/defaults/main.yml`
```yaml
---
grafana_version: "9.2.5"
grafana_admin_password: "admin"
```
##### `roles/grafana/handlers/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Restart Grafana
service:
name: grafana-server
state: restarted
```
##### `roles/grafana/meta/main.yml`
```yaml
---
dependencies: []
```
##### `roles/grafana/tasks/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Add Grafana repository
apt_repository:
repo: "deb https://packages.grafana.com/oss/deb stable main"
state: present
filename: grafana
- name: Add Grafana GPG key
apt_key:
url: "https://packages.grafana.com/gpg.key"
state: present
- name: Update APT cache
apt:
update_cache: yes
- name: Install Grafana
apt:
name: grafana
state: present
notify: Restart Grafana
- name: Configure Grafana
template:
src: grafana.ini.j2
dest: /etc/grafana/grafana.ini
notify: Restart Grafana
- name: Enable and start Grafana
systemd:
name: grafana-server
enabled: yes
state: started
```
##### `roles/grafana/templates/grafana.ini.j2`
```ini
[security]
admin_user = admin
admin_password = {{ grafana_admin_password }}
```
##### `roles/grafana/vars/main.yml`
```yaml
---
grafana_version: "9.2.5"
```
#### Node Exporter Role
##### `roles/node_exporter/defaults/main.yml`
```yaml
---
node_exporter_version: "1.5.0"
```
##### `roles/node_exporter/handlers/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Restart Node Exporter
systemd:
name: node_exporter
state: restarted
```
##### `roles/node_exporter/meta/main.yml`
```yaml
---
dependencies: []
```
##### `roles/node_exporter/tasks/main.yml`
```yaml
---
- name: Download Node Exporter
get_url:
url: "https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter/releases/download/v{{ node_exporter_version }}/node_exporter-{{ node_exporter_version }}.linux-amd64.tar.gz"
dest: "/tmp/node_exporter.tar.gz"
- name: Extract Node Exporter
unarchive:
src: "/tmp/node_exporter.tar.gz"
dest: "/usr/local/"
remote_src: true
notify: Restart Node Exporter
- name: Create Node Exporter user
user:
name: node_exporter
shell: /usr/sbin/nologin
- name: Copy Node Exporter binary
copy:
src: "/usr/local/node_exporter-{{ node_exporter_version }}.linux-amd64/node_exporter"
dest:
To further assess the capabilities of "im-a-good-gpt2-chatbot" and "im-also-a-good-gpt2-chatbot", I decided to run the same prompt through other major LLM models currently available. This section includes the results from ChatGPT - GPT-4, Claude 3 Opus, Google AI Studio - Gemini 1.5 Pro, Llama 3, Llama 3:70B, and Mistral Large.
Summary: ChatGPT - GPT-4 created an Ansible project for setting up a Minecraft server, including a thorough implementation of the necessary structure, roles, and playbook files.
Brief Analysis: The response was well-structured, adhered to Ansible best practices, and provided a complete solution for deploying a Minecraft server on a Linux host.
Click to expand Model C's response
Let's create an Ansible project for setting up a Minecraft server as a fun homelab project. This will be a thorough implementation that includes the structure, roles, and playbook files for deploying a Minecraft server on a Linux host. This project will demonstrate how to use Ansible for configuration management and deployment tasks.
### Project Structure
The new project will be structured as follows, fitting into your existing Ansible directory setup:
```
playbooks/
└── minecraft_server_setup
└── deploy_minecraft.yml
roles/
└── minecraft_server
├── defaults
│ └── main.yml
├── files
├── handlers
│ └── main.yml
├── meta
│ └── main.yml
├── tasks
│ └── main.yml
├── templates
└── vars
└── main.yml
```
### Step 1: Role Defaults
**roles/minecraft_server/defaults/main.yml**
```yaml
---
minecraft_user: minecraft
minecraft_group: minecraft
minecraft_version: "1.16.5"
minecraft_server_dir: "/opt/minecraft"
minecraft_xms: "1024M"
minecraft_xmx: "2048M"
```
### Step 2: Handlers
**roles/minecraft_server/handlers/main.yml**
```yaml
---
- name: restart minecraft
systemd:
name: minecraft
state: restarted
become: true
```
### Step 3: Tasks
**roles/minecraft_server/tasks/main.yml**
```yaml
---
- name: Ensure group exists
group:
name: "{{ minecraft_group }}"
state: present
- name: Ensure user exists
user:
name: "{{ minecraft_user }}"
group: "{{ minecraft_group }}"
home: "{{ minecraft_server_dir }}"
createhome: no
- name: Install required packages
apt:
name: openjdk-11-jre-headless
state: present
become: true
- name: Create Minecraft server directory
file:
path: "{{ minecraft_server_dir }}"
state: directory
owner: "{{ minecraft_user }}"
group: "{{ minecraft_group }}"
- name: Download Minecraft Server
get_url:
url: "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/f1a0073671057f01aa843443fef34330281333ce/server.jar"
dest: "{{ minecraft_server_dir }}/server.jar"
mode: '0755'
when: minecraft_version is defined
- name: Create systemd service file
template:
src: minecraft.service.j2
dest: "/etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service"
notify: restart minecraft
become: true
- name: Enable and start Minecraft service
systemd:
name: minecraft
enabled: yes
state: started
become: true
```
### Step 4: Templates
**roles/minecraft_server/templates/minecraft.service.j2**
```jinja
[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target
[Service]
User={{ minecraft_user }}
Nice=1
KillMode=none
SuccessExitStatus=0 1
ProtectHome=true
ProtectSystem=full
PrivateDevices=true
NoNewPrivileges=true
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xms{{ minecraft_xms }} -Xmx{{ minecraft_xmx }} -jar {{ minecraft_server_dir }}/server.jar nogui
WorkingDirectory={{ minecraft_server_dir }}
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
### Step 5: Playbook
**playbooks/minecraft_server_setup/deploy_minecraft.yml**
```yaml
---
- name: Deploy Minecraft Server
hosts: all
become: true
roles:
- minecraft_server
```
### Conclusion
You can execute this playbook using your existing inventory and configuration by navigating to your Ansible directory and running:
```bash
ansible-playbook playbooks/minecraft_server_setup/deploy_minecraft.yml -i inventory/production/hosts
```
This setup installs a Minecraft server using OpenJDK 11 and configures it to run as a service on your system. Adjust the memory settings and Minecraft version according to your server's capacity and the version you prefer.
Summary: Claude 3 Opus focused on setting up a Minecraft server specifically on a Raspberry Pi, providing a complete role structure and playbook for deployment.
Brief Analysis: The response was thorough and well-organized, demonstrating a solid understanding of Ansible concepts and best practices.
Click to expand Model D's response
Great! Let's create an Ansible playbook for a fun homelab project - setting up a Minecraft server on a Raspberry Pi.
First, let's create a new role called `minecraft_server`:
```bash
mkdir -p roles/minecraft_server/{defaults,files,handlers,meta,tasks,templates,vars}
touch roles/minecraft_server/{defaults,vars}/main.yml
touch roles/minecraft_server/meta/main.yml
touch roles/minecraft_server/tasks/main.yml
touch roles/minecraft_server/handlers/main.yml
```
Now, let's populate the role files:
`roles/minecraft_server/defaults/main.yml`:
```yaml
---
minecraft_version: 1.18.2
minecraft_server_path: /opt/minecraft
minecraft_server_port: 25565
minecraft_max_memory: 1024M
minecraft_min_memory: 512M
```
`roles/minecraft_server/vars/main.yml`:
```yaml
---
minecraft_url: https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/c8f83c5655308435b3dcf03c06d9fe8740a77469/server.jar
```
`roles/minecraft_server/tasks/main.yml`:
```yaml
---
- name: Install required packages
apt:
name:
- openjdk-17-jre-headless
- screen
state: present
- name: Create Minecraft server directory
file:
path: "{{ minecraft_server_path }}"
state: directory
- name: Download Minecraft server
get_url:
url: "{{ minecraft_url }}"
dest: "{{ minecraft_server_path }}/server.jar"
- name: Accept Minecraft EULA
copy:
content: "eula=true"
dest: "{{ minecraft_server_path }}/eula.txt"
- name: Configure Minecraft server
template:
src: server.properties.j2
dest: "{{ minecraft_server_path }}/server.properties"
notify: restart minecraft
- name: Create Minecraft systemd service
template:
src: minecraft.service.j2
dest: /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service
notify: restart minecraft
```
`roles/minecraft_server/templates/server.properties.j2`:
```
server-port={{ minecraft_server_port }}
max-memory={{ minecraft_max_memory }}
min-memory={{ minecraft_min_memory }}
```
`roles/minecraft_server/templates/minecraft.service.j2`:
```
[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target
[Service]
WorkingDirectory={{ minecraft_server_path }}
ExecStart=/usr/bin/screen -DmS minecraft /usr/bin/java -Xmx{{ minecraft_max_memory }} -Xms{{ minecraft_min_memory }} -jar server.jar nogui
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
`roles/minecraft_server/handlers/main.yml`:
```yaml
---
- name: restart minecraft
systemd:
name: minecraft
state: restarted
```
Now, let's create a playbook to use this role:
`playbooks/minecraft_server.yml`:
```yaml
---
- hosts: raspberrypi
become: yes
roles:
- minecraft_server
```
Finally, update the `inventory/group_vars/raspberrypi.yml` file with any necessary variables for your Raspberry Pi hosts.
You can now run the playbook:
```bash
ansible-playbook -i inventory/production playbooks/minecraft_server.yml
```
This will set up a Minecraft server on your Raspberry Pi hosts. The server will start automatically on system boot, and you can manage it using systemd commands like `sudo systemctl stop minecraft` and `sudo systemctl start minecraft`.
Summary: Gemini 1.5 Pro provided a high-level overview of setting up a monitoring stack with Prometheus and Grafana.
Brief Analysis: While the response outlined the general structure of the project, it lacked the depth and detail compared to other models, serving more as a starting point than a complete solution.
Click to expand Model E's response
Homelab Project: Monitoring with Prometheus & Grafana
This project will set up Prometheus and Grafana on an Ubuntu server, allowing you to monitor various system metrics and create insightful dashboards.
Playbook Structure:
Based on your existing Ansible directory structure, we'll add a new playbook and role for this project:
Playbook: playbooks/prometheus_grafana_deploy/deploy.yml
Role: roles/prometheus_grafana
Role Structure:
The prometheus_grafana role will follow the standard Ansible role structure:
roles/prometheus_grafana/
├── defaults
│ └── main.yml
├── files
├── handlers
│ └── main.yml
├── meta
│ └── main.yml
├── tasks
│ └── main.yml
├── templates
│ ├── prometheus.yml.j2
│ └── grafana_datasource.yml.j2
└── vars
└── main.yml
Implementation Steps:
Define Variables: In roles/prometheus_grafana/vars/main.yml, define variables like Prometheus version, Grafana version, download URLs, installation paths, etc.
Download & Install Packages: In roles/prometheus_grafana/tasks/main.yml, use the apt module to install required packages like prometheus, prometheus-node-exporter, and grafana.
Configure Prometheus:
Use the template module to create the Prometheus configuration file (prometheus.yml) from the template prometheus.yml.j2.
Customize the template to include jobs for scraping metrics from the server itself and any other targets you want to monitor (e.g., other servers, network devices).
Start and enable the Prometheus service.
Configure Grafana:
Use the template module to create a Grafana datasource configuration file (grafana_datasource.yml) from the template grafana_datasource.yml.j2.
Customize the template with the URL and access details for Prometheus.
Use the grafana_datasource module to add the Prometheus datasource to Grafana.
Start and enable the Grafana service.
Playbook Content:
The playbooks/prometheus_grafana_deploy/deploy.yml playbook will be simple:
---
- hosts: monitoring_servers
become: true
roles:
- prometheus_grafana
Inventory Configuration:
Create a group in your inventory file (e.g., monitoring_servers) and add the target server's hostname or IP address to this group.
Running the Playbook:
ansible-playbook -i inventory/production/hosts playbooks/prometheus_grafana_deploy/deploy.yml
Additional Considerations:
Security: Configure user authentication and access control for both Prometheus and Grafana.
Dashboards: Create Grafana dashboards to visualize the collected metrics. You can import pre-built dashboards or create your own.
Alerting: Set up alerting rules in Prometheus to get notified about potential issues.
Benefits:
This project provides a solid foundation for monitoring your homelab infrastructure. You'll have real-time insights into system performance, resource usage, and potential problems, allowing you to proactively manage your environment.
Summary: Llama 3 created a project for a home media server, focusing on installing and configuring Plex and setting up storage using Samba.
Brief Analysis: The response provided a clear project structure and included the necessary playbook, roles, tasks, and template files, demonstrating a good understanding of Ansible.
Click to expand Model F's response
I'll help you write an Ansible playbook and accompanying files for a fun homelab project. Let's create a "Home Media
Server" project.
**Project Structure:**
Create a new directory called `home_media_server` inside your `playbooks` directory:
```bash
mkdir playbooks/home_media_server
```
Inside the `home_media_server` directory, create the following files and directories:
* `playbook.yml`: The main playbook file.
* `roles`: A directory to store reusable Ansible roles.
+ `media_server`: A role for configuring a media server (e.g., Plex or Kodi).
+ `storage`: A role for setting up storage devices (e.g., NAS or external hard drives).
**playbook.yml:**
```yaml
---
- name: Home Media Server
hosts: all
become: yes
roles:
- media_server
- storage
```
This playbook defines a single play that applies to all hosts in the `all` group. It includes two roles:
`media_server` and `storage`.
**roles/media_server/tasks/main.yml:**
```yaml
---
- name: Install media server software
apt:
name: plexmediaserver
state: present
- name: Configure media server settings
template:
src: templates/plex_config.j2
dest: /etc/plex/config.json
mode: '0644'
- name: Start media server service
service:
name: plexmediaserver
state: started
enabled: yes
```
This role installs Plex Media Server, configures it using a template file, and starts the service.
**roles/media_server/templates/plex_config.j2:**
```jinja2
{
"transcoder": {
"ffmpeg": true,
"ffprobe": true
}
}
```
This template file defines some basic Plex configuration settings.
**roles/storage/tasks/main.yml:**
```yaml
---
- name: Install storage software (e.g., Samba)
apt:
name: samba
state: present
- name: Configure storage shares
template:
src: templates/smb.conf.j2
dest: /etc/samba/smb.conf
mode: '0644'
- name: Start storage service (e.g., Samba)
service:
name: samba
state: started
enabled: yes
```
This role installs Samba, configures it using a template file, and starts the service.
**roles/storage/templates/smb.conf.j2:**
```jinja2
[global]
workgroup = HomeMediaServer
[share]
path = /mnt/media
name = MediaShare
comment = Media Share for Home Media Server
```
This template file defines some basic Samba configuration settings.
That's it! This playbook and roles should give you a solid foundation for setting up a home media server with Plex and
storage devices. Feel free to{"function":"update_slots","level":"INFO","line":1595,"msg":"slot context shift","n_cache_tokens":2048,"n_ctx":2048,"n_discard":1011,"n_keep":24,"n_left":2023,"n_past":2047,"n_system_tokens":0,"slot_id":0,"task_id":0,"tid":"126467037587008","timestamp":1715220167}
modify or add more tasks as needed.
Remember to create the `templates` directory inside each role directory (e.g., `media_server/templates/`) to store
your template files.
Summary: Llama 3:70B proposed a project to deploy a NextCloud instance on an Ubuntu server, providing a detailed step-by-step guide for creating the necessary playbook, role, tasks, handlers, and templates.
Brief Analysis: The response was comprehensive and well-structured, showcasing a strong grasp of Ansible concepts and best practices.
Click to expand Model G's response
What a delightfully organized Ansible directory structure!
Let's create a new project together. How about we deploy a simple NextCloud instance on an Ubuntu server?
Here's the plan:
1. Create a new playbook and accompanying role for NextCloud deployment.
2. Define the necessary tasks, handlers, and templates for the deployment.
3. Configure the playbook to use the existing `ubuntu_server_setup` role as a dependency.
Let's get started!
**Create a new playbook:**
In the `playbooks` directory, create a new folder called `nextcloud_deploy` with a single file `deploy_nextcloud.yml`.
```yaml
# playbooks/nextcloud_deploy/deploy_nextcloud.yml
---
- name: Deploy NextCloud on Ubuntu Server
hosts: ubuntu_servers
become: true
roles:
- ubuntu_server_setup
- nextcloud_deploy
```
**Create a new role:**
In the `roles` directory, create a new folder called `nextcloud_deploy` with the following subdirectories and files:
```bash
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/
defaults/
main.yml
files/
nextcloud.conf
handlers/
main.yml
meta/
main.yml
tasks/
main.yml
install_nextcloud.yml
configure_nextcloud.yml
templates/
nextcloud.conf.j2
vars/
main.yml
```
**Define the tasks and handlers:**
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/main.yml`, define the main task list:
```yaml
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/main.yml
---
- name: Deploy NextCloud on Ubuntu Server
tasks:
- install_nextcloud
- configure_nextcloud
```
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/install_nextcloud.yml`, define the installation task:
```yaml
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/install_nextcloud.yml
---
- name: Install NextCloud
apt:
name: nextcloud
state: present
```
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/configure_nextcloud.yml`, define the configuration task:
```yaml
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/tasks/configure_nextcloud.yml
---
- name: Configure NextCloud
template:
src: templates/nextcloud.conf.j2
dest: /etc/nextcloud/config.php
mode: '0644'
notify: restart nextcloud
```
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/handlers/main.yml`, define the handler to restart the NextCloud service:
```yaml
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/handlers/main.yml
---
- name: Restart NextCloud Service
service:
name: nextcloud
state: restarted
```
** Define the templates and variables:**
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/templates/nextcloud.conf.j2`, define the template for the NextCloud configuration file:
```jinja2
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/templates/nextcloud.conf.j2
<?php
$CONFIG = array (
'instanceid' => '{{ instance_id }}',
'passwordsalt' => '{{ password{"function":"update_slots","level":"INFO","line":1595,"msg":"slot context shift","n_cache_tokens":2048,"n_ctx":2048,"n_discard":1011,"n_keep":24,"n_left":2023,"n_past":2047,"n_system_tokens":0,"slot_id":0,"task_id":0,"tid":"126465594750528","timestamp":1715221308}
_salt }}',
// ...
);
?>
```
In `roles/nextcloud_deploy/vars/main.yml`, define the variables for the template:
```yaml
# roles/nextcloud_deploy/vars/main.yml
---
instance_id: "myNextCloudInstance"
password_salt: "MySuperSecretPasswordSalt"
```
That's it! You now have a new playbook and role to deploy a NextCloud instance on an Ubuntu server. Run the playbook
using `ansible-playbook -i <inventory_file> playbooks/nextcloud_deploy/deploy_nextcloud.yml` to see the magic happen.
How was that? Would you like to add any other features or modifications to this project?
Summary: Mistral Large suggested setting up a self-hosted GitLab instance on a dedicated server, outlining the required directory structure, playbook, role, tasks, and templates.
Brief Analysis: The response was comprehensive and well-structured, demonstrating a solid understanding of Ansible and GitLab deployment best practices.
Click to expand Model H's response
Based on your current Ansible directory structure, I suggest a fun homelab project to set up a self-hosted GitLab instance on a dedicated server in your homelab. This will allow you to manage your code and collaborate with others in a private setting. Here's how you can structure your Ansible files for this project:
1. Create a new directory for the GitLab project inside the `playbooks` directory:
```
mkdir -p playbooks/gitlab_install
```
2. Create a new playbook file for the GitLab installation inside the newly created directory:
```
touch playbooks/gitlab_install/install_gitlab.yml
```
3. Edit the `install_gitlab.yml` file and add the following content:
```yaml
---
- name: Install GitLab
hosts: gitlab
become: true
roles:
- common
- gitlab_install
```
4. Create a new role directory for the GitLab installation inside the `roles` directory:
```
mkdir -p roles/gitlab_install/{tasks,templates,vars,defaults,files,handlers,meta}
```
5. Create a `main.yml` file inside the `tasks` directory of the new role:
```
touch roles/gitlab_install/tasks/main.yml
```
6. Edit the `main.yml` file and add the following content:
```yaml
---
- name: Include GitLab official repository
apt_repository:
repo: 'deb https://packages.gitlab.com/gitlab/gitlab-ee/ {{ ansible_lsb.codename }}-ee main'
state: present
filename: gitlab-ee
- name: Add GitLab package signing key
apt_key:
url: https://packages.gitlab.com/gpg.key
state: present
- name: Install GitLab package
apt:
name: gitlab-ee
state: present
- name: Configure GitLab
template:
src: gitlab.rb.j2
dest: /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb
notify:
- Restart GitLab
- name: Run GitLab reconfigure
command: gitlab-ctl reconfigure
changed_when: false
```
7. Create a `gitlab.rb.j2` file inside the `templates` directory of the new role:
```
touch roles/gitlab_install/templates/gitlab.rb.j2
```
8. Edit the `gitlab.rb.j2` file and add the following content (you can customize the configuration as needed):
```ruby
external_url 'http://gitlab.yourdomain.com'
gitlab_rails['lfs_enabled'] = true
gitlab_rails['time_zone'] = 'UTC'
gitlab_rails['gitlab_shell_ssh_port'] = 22
nginx['redirect_http_to_https'] = true
```
9. Create a `main.yml` file inside the `handlers` directory of the new role:
```
touch roles/gitlab_install/handlers/main.yml
```
10. Edit the `main.yml` file and add the following content:
```yaml
---
- name: Restart GitLab
command: gitlab-ctl restart
listen: "Restart GitLab"
```
11. Add the new GitLab server to your inventory file (e.g., `inventory/staging/hosts` or `inventory/production/hosts`):
```
[gitlab]
gitlab.yourdomain.com
```
12. Update your `ansible.cfg` file to include the new role's directory if it's not already present:
```
[defaults]
roles_path = ./roles
```
Now you can run the GitLab installation playbook with the following command:
```
ansible-playbook playbooks/gitlab_install/install_gitlab.yml -i inventory/staging/hosts
```
Or for production:
```
ansible-playbook playbooks/gitlab_install/install_gitlab.yml -i inventory/production/hosts
```
This will set up a self-hosted GitLab instance on your dedicated server. You can further customize the configuration by modifying the `gitlab.rb.j2` file and adding or modifying variables in the `vars` and `defaults` directories of the new role.
After evaluating the responses from all eight LLM models, it's clear that there is significant potential for using these models to generate creative and effective solutions to complex tasks. While the models varied in their approach and the level of detail provided, they all demonstrated a solid understanding of the given prompt and the ability to generate well-structured and practical responses.
Model A (im-a-good-gpt2-chatbot) stood out for its comprehensive and well-organized response, setting a high standard for the other models to follow. Models C (ChatGPT - GPT-4), D (Claude 3 Opus), and H (Mistral Large) came close to matching the quality and comprehensiveness of Model A, providing well-structured and detailed responses for their respective projects.
Model B (im-also-a-good-gpt2-chatbot), while not as comprehensive as Model A, still provided a solid monitoring stack setup. Models F (Llama 3) and G (Llama 3:70B) also delivered well-structured media server projects, although not as detailed as Model A.
Model E (Gemini 1.5 Pro) fell short compared to the other models, providing only a high-level overview of the monitoring stack setup without the necessary depth and detail.
It's important to note that this analysis is based on a single-shot prompt, meaning that each model was provided with the prompt only once and generated its response accordingly. With further refinement and iteration, it's likely that the models could generate even better results. Fine-tuning the prompt, providing additional context, or engaging in a multi-turn conversation could potentially lead to more comprehensive and tailored solutions from all the models involved.
This challenge has demonstrated the impressive capabilities of LLM models in generating creative and effective solutions to complex tasks. By providing a clear prompt and context, these models can create well-organized, detailed, and practical responses that showcase their understanding of the given problem and their ability to apply relevant knowledge and best practices.
The key takeaways from this challenge are:
- LLM models can effectively generate creative and comprehensive solutions when given a clear prompt and context.
- The quality and effectiveness of the generated responses vary between models, with some models outperforming others in terms of detail, organization, and practicality.
- Fine-tuning the prompt, providing additional context, or engaging in multi-turn conversations could potentially lead to even better results from these models.
As the capabilities of LLM models continue to evolve, their potential for assisting in various tasks, from creative problem-solving to technical implementations, will likely grow. This challenge serves as an exciting starting point for exploring the use of LLM models in a wide range of domains, and it highlights the need for further research and experimentation to fully realize their potential.
Overall, this challenge has been a fun and insightful experience, demonstrating the impressive capabilities of LLM models and their potential to assist in a variety of tasks. As we continue to explore and refine these models, we can look forward to even more creative and effective solutions in the future.
As a final fun experiment, I decided to run the Ansible playbook prompt through the Grok Model.
Summary: The Grok Model provided a step-by-step guide to create an Ansible playbook for setting up a simple Nginx web server on a Raspberry Pi.
Brief Analysis: The response was clear, concise, and easy to follow. It included all the necessary steps to create the playbook, configure the inventory, and run the playbook to set up the web server. The Grok Model demonstrated a solid understanding of Ansible and provided a practical solution for the given task.
Click to expand Model I's response
I have analyzed your current Ansible directory structure and I'm ready to help you with your fun homelab project. Let's create a new project in your Ansible directory to set up a simple web server using Nginx on a Raspberry Pi.
1. Create a new directory for the project in the `playbooks` directory:
```bash
mkdir ~/projects/infrastructure/ansible/playbooks/webserver
```
2. Create a new playbook in the `webserver` directory:
```bash
touch ~/projects/infrastructure/ansible/playbooks/webserver/setup_webserver.yml
```
3. Open the `setup_webserver.yml` file in your favorite text editor and add the following playbook content:
```yaml
---
- hosts: raspberrypi
become: yes
tasks:
- name: Install Nginx
apt:
name: nginx
state: latest
- name: Enable and start Nginx service
service:
name: nginx
enabled: yes
state: started
- name: Copy index.html
copy:
src: files/index.html
dest: /var/www/html/index.html
mode: '0644'
```
4. Create a new directory for the `files` to store the `index.html` file:
```bash
mkdir ~/projects/infrastructure/ansible/playbooks/webserver/files
```
5. Create the `index.html` file in the `files` directory:
```bash
touch ~/projects/infrastructure/ansible/playbooks/webserver/files/index.html
```
6. Open the `index.html` file in your text editor and add the following content:
```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Raspberry Pi Web Server</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to my Raspberry Pi Web Server!</h1>
<p>This is a simple web server set up using Ansible.</p>
</body>
</html>
```
7. Add a new group called `raspberrypi` to your `inventory/production/hosts` file:
```
[raspberrypi]
192.168.1.10
```
Replace `192.168.1.10` with the IP address of your Raspberry Pi.
8. Now you can run the playbook to set up the Nginx web server on your Raspberry Pi:
```bash
ansible-playbook -i inventory/production/hosts playbooks/webserver/setup_webserver.yml
```
After running the playbook, you should have a simple web server running on your Raspberry Pi, serving the `index.html` file created with Ansible.