Improved with vbox_autostart_user variable

README.md

@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ This role is inspired by the following article: [AutoStart VirtualBox VMs on Sys
 1. Install this role using the `ansible-galaxy` CLI tool
 2. You can then include it into the `tasks` section of your _Ansible Playbook_. See [`test/playbook.yml`](test/playbook.yml) for an example of how to do that. Remember to replace the role name with `dmotte.vbox_autostart`.
 
+> **Note**: this role must be run as root (`ansible_become: true`).
+
 > **Note**: if you want to automate also the _VirtualBox_ installation on the host, you can use the [oefenweb.virtualbox](https://galaxy.ansible.com/oefenweb/virtualbox) role.
 
 ### Role variables

defaults/main.yml

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 ---
+# User to which the VirtualBox VMs belong
+vbox_autostart_user: mainuser
+
 # List of VirtualBox VMs that must be started at system boot
-vbox_vms: []
+vbox_autostart_vms: []

tasks/main.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
 - name: Ensure the VBOXAUTOSTART_DB variable is set correctly
-  become: true
   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
     path: /etc/default/virtualbox
     regexp: "^VBOXAUTOSTART_DB="
@@ -9,7 +8,6 @@
     mode: "0644"
 
 - name: Ensure the VBOXAUTOSTART_CONFIG variable is set correctly
-  become: true
   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
     path: /etc/default/virtualbox
     regexp: "^VBOXAUTOSTART_CONFIG="
@@ -18,27 +16,24 @@
     mode: "0644"
 
 - name: Ensure the autostartvm.cfg file exists and has the right content
-  become: true
   ansible.builtin.copy:
     content: |
       default_policy = deny
-      {{ ansible_user_id }} = {
+      {{ vbox_autostart_user }} = {
         allow = true
         startup_delay = 10
       }
     dest: /etc/vbox/autostartvm.cfg
     mode: "0644"
 
 - name: Add the user to the vboxusers group
-  # Equivalent to "usermod -aG vboxusers {{ ansible_user_id }}"
-  become: true
+  # Equivalent to "usermod -aG vboxusers {{ vbox_autostart_user }}"
   ansible.builtin.user:
-    name: "{{ ansible_user_id }}"
+    name: "{{ vbox_autostart_user }}"
     groups: [vboxusers] # It's important to use the "groups" parameter instead of "group"
     append: true
 
 - name: Ensure the owner group of the /etc/vbox dir is vboxusers and has write permissions
-  become: true
   ansible.builtin.file:
     path: /etc/vbox
     group: vboxusers
@@ -48,14 +43,16 @@
   ansible.builtin.meta: reset_connection
 
 - name: Set the VirtualBox autostartdbpath property
+  become_user: "{{ vbox_autostart_user }}"
   ansible.builtin.command:
     cmd: VBoxManage setproperty autostartdbpath /etc/vbox/
   register: result
   changed_when: result.rc == 0
 
 - name: Enable autostart on the virtual machines
+  become_user: "{{ vbox_autostart_user }}"
   ansible.builtin.command:
     cmd: VBoxManage modifyvm {{ item }} --autostart-enabled on
   register: result
   changed_when: result.rc == 0
-  loop: "{{ vbox_vms }}"
+  loop: "{{ vbox_autostart_vms }}"

test/playbook.yml

@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@
     - name: Include the role from the parent directory
       ansible.builtin.include_role: { name: "{{ playbook_dir | dirname }}" }
       vars:
-        vbox_vms: [DebVM01]
+        ansible_become: true
+        vbox_autostart_user: "{{ ansible_user_id }}"
+        vbox_autostart_vms: [VMDeb01]