Bonus Notes - Setting Up the Host OS with Chocolatey (Infrastructure as Code for the Host)

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Bonus Notes: Setting Up the Host OS with Chocolatey (Infrastructure as Code for the Host)

As I’m using infrastructure as code principles in my lab environment, it makes sense to extend this approach to my host operating system as well. By automating the installation and configuration of essential software on the host OS, I can ensure consistency, repeatability, and efficiency across my entire setup. In this bonus content, I’ll cover how to use Chocolatey to set up Git, Vagrant, VirtualBox, and Packer on Windows, including automating Git configuration during installation.

Why Use Chocolatey?

Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows that simplifies the installation and management of software. By leveraging Chocolatey, I can automate the setup of development tools and other software, aligning with my infrastructure as code approach. This automation not only saves time but also helps maintain a standardized environment across different machines.

Installing Software with Chocolatey

  1. Install Chocolatey

    If you haven’t installed Chocolatey yet, start by following the instructions on the Chocolatey installation page. Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

    @powershell "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))"

  2. Install Essential Software

    With Chocolatey installed, you can easily set up Git, Vagrant, VirtualBox, and Packer. Here’s how:

    • Git: (using all my preferences)

      choco install git --params "'/GitBashInWindowsTerminal /Editor=Notepad++ /SSH=OpenSSH /Https=Native /LineEndings=LF /Terminal=ConHost /PullBehavior=Rebase /CredentialHelper=WinCred /ExtraOptions=Enable'"

    • Vagrant:

      choco install vagrant

    • VirtualBox:

      choco install virtualbox

    • Packer:

      choco install packer

  3. Configure Git

    After installing Git with Chocolatey, you might still want to make additional configurations. You can use Git commands to set global options, such as:

    git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Summary

  • Install Chocolatey: Follow instructions on Chocolatey.
  • Install Software: Use choco install <package> for Git, Vagrant, VirtualBox, and Packer, with --params for Git options.
  • Customise Git: Automate settings using Chocolatey parameters and configure additional preferences post-installation.

By applying infrastructure as code principles to my host OS setup, I ensure a consistent and efficient environment that aligns with my lab setup. Chocolatey proves to be a powerful tool for achieving this goal.

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