How to Install MCollective on Arch Linux

MCollective is a powerful framework used to manage and orchestrate enterprise systems. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the installation and configuration process of MCollective on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before you get started, make sure you have the following:

• A Linux user account with sudo access.
• An active internet connection.

Step 1: Installation of Puppet Repository

In this step, we will install the Puppet repository on our Arch Linux system. MCollective requires Puppet's package repository to be installed so that we can install and maintain MCollective.

1. Launch the terminal on your Arch Linux system by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

2. Run the following command to download the Puppet package:

sudo pacman -S puppet

3. After the installation of the package, add the Puppet repository to your system's configuration file. Run:

sudo tee -a /etc/pacman.conf <<END
[puppet]
SigLevel = Optional TrustAll
Server = https://downloads.puppetlabs.com/puppet7/arch/7/\$arch
END

4. Refresh your system's package database with the following command:

sudo pacman -Syy

Step 2: Installation of MCollective

In this step, we will install the MCollective package on Arch Linux.

1. Run the following command to install the MCollective package:

sudo pacman -S mcollective

2. After installing MCollective, you will need to enable the MCollective service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl enable mcollective

Step 3: Configuration of MCollective

In this step, we will configure MCollective to use the ActiveMQ message broker to communicate between its components.

1. Edit the MCollective configuration file by using the following command:

sudo nano /etc/mcollective/server.cfg

2. Modify the plugin.activemq.pool.size value to a number that is appropriate for your system. For example:

plugin.activemq.pool.size = 2

3. Uncomment and modify the following values to match your ActiveMQ installation in the configuration file:

plugin.activemq.pool.1.host = my.activemq.server.com
plugin.activemq.pool.1.port = 61613
plugin.activemq.pool.2.host = my.activemq.secondary.server.com
plugin.activemq.pool.2.port = 61613

4. Save and close the configuration file.

5. Restart the MCollective service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart mcollective

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we installed and configured MCollective on Arch Linux. We covered the installation of the Puppet repository before installing MCollective, which is a prerequisite for the software to work correctly. Finally, we configured MCollective to use the ActiveMQ message broker for communication.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!