fix(users): update cloud-init template and input validation for dict users

README.md

@@ -202,14 +202,29 @@ When `interfaces` is empty, the flat fields (`bridge`, `ip`, `prefix`, `gateway`
 
 #### `system.users`
 
+Dict keyed by username. At least one user must have a `password` (used for SSH access during bootstrap). Users without a password get locked accounts (key-only auth).
+
+```yaml
+system:
+  users:
+    svcansible:
+      password: "vault_lookup"
+      keys:
+        - "ssh-ed25519 AAAA..."
+    appuser:
+      sudo: "ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL"
+      keys:
+        - "ssh-ed25519 BBBB..."
+```
+
 | Key        | Type        | Default | Description                                        |
 | ---------- | ----------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
-| `name`     | string      | --      | Username (required)                                |
+| *(dict key)* | string    | --      | Username (required)                                |
-| `password` | string      | --      | User password (required for first user)            |
+| `password` | string      | --      | User password (required for at least one user)     |
 | `keys`     | list        | `[]`    | SSH public keys                                    |
 | `sudo`     | bool/string | --      | `true` for NOPASSWD ALL, or custom sudoers string  |
 
-The first user's credentials are prompted interactively via `vars_prompt` unless supplied in inventory or `-e`.
+Users must be defined in inventory. The dict format enables additive merging across inventory layers with `hash_behaviour=merge`.
 
 #### `system.root`
 
@@ -398,7 +413,7 @@ ansible-playbook -i inventory.yml main.yml
 ansible-playbook -i inventory.yml main.yml -e @vars.yml
 ```
 
-Credentials for the first user and root are prompted interactively via `vars_prompt` unless already set in inventory or passed via `-e`.
+All credentials (`system.users`, `system.root.password`) must be defined in inventory or passed via `-e`.
 
 Example inventory files are included:
 
@@ -408,7 +423,7 @@ Example inventory files are included:
 
 ## 7. Security
 
-Use **Ansible Vault** for all sensitive values (`hypervisor.password`, `system.luks.passphrase`, `system.users[].password`, `system.root.password`).
+Use **Ansible Vault** for all sensitive values (`hypervisor.password`, `system.luks.passphrase`, user passwords in `system.users`, `system.root.password`).
 
 ## 8. Safety
 

main.yml

@@ -14,94 +14,7 @@
   strategy: free # noqa: run-once[play]
   gather_facts: false
   become: true
-  vars_prompt:
-    - name: user_name
-      prompt: |
-        What is your username?
-      private: false
-
-    - name: user_public_key
-      prompt: |
-        What is your ssh key?
-      private: false
-
-    - name: user_password
-      prompt: |
-        What is your password?
-      confirm: true
-
-    - name: root_password
-      prompt: |
-        What is your root password?
-      confirm: true
   pre_tasks:
-    - name: Apply prompted authentication values to system input
-      no_log: true
-      vars:
-        system_input: "{{ system | default({}) }}"
-        system_users_input: "{{ system_input.users | default([]) }}"
-        system_first_user: >-
-          {{
-            system_users_input[0]
-            if (system_users_input is iterable and system_users_input is not string
-                and system_users_input is not mapping and system_users_input | length > 0)
-            else {}
-          }}
-        system_root_input: "{{ (system_input.root | default({})) if (system_input.root is mapping) else {} }}"
-        prompt_user_name: "{{ user_name | default(system_user_name | default(''), true) | string }}"
-        prompt_user_key: "{{ user_public_key | default(user_key | default(system_user_key | default(''), true), true) | string | trim }}"
-        prompt_user_password: "{{ user_password | default(system_user_password | default(''), true) | string }}"
-        prompt_root_password: "{{ root_password | default(system_root_password | default(''), true) | string }}"
-        resolved_user:
-          name: >-
-            {{
-              system_first_user.name | string
-              if (system_first_user.name | default('') | string | length) > 0
-              else prompt_user_name
-            }}
-          keys: >-
-            {{
-              system_first_user['keys']
-              if (system_first_user['keys'] is defined
-                  and system_first_user['keys'] is iterable
-                  and system_first_user['keys'] is not string
-                  and system_first_user['keys'] | length > 0)
-              else (
-                [prompt_user_key]
-                if (prompt_user_key | length > 0)
-                else []
-              )
-            }}
-          password: >-
-            {{
-              system_first_user.password | string
-              if (system_first_user.password | default('') | string | length) > 0
-              else prompt_user_password
-            }}
-      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        system: >-
-          {{
-            system_input
-            | combine(
-                {
-                  'users': (
-                    [resolved_user]
-                    + (system_users_input[1:]
-                       if (system_users_input is sequence
-                           and system_users_input is not string
-                           and system_users_input | length > 1)
-                       else [])
-                  ),
-                  'root': {
-                    'password': (
-                      (system_root_input.password | default('') | string | length) > 0
-                    ) | ternary(system_root_input.password | string, prompt_root_password)
-                  }
-                },
-                recursive=True
-              )
-          }}
-
     - name: Load global defaults
       ansible.builtin.import_role:
         name: global_defaults
@@ -160,8 +73,6 @@
           ansible.builtin.include_role:
             name: cleanup
             public: true
-          vars:
-            ansible_become: false
 
       rescue:
         - name: Delete VM on bootstrap failure
@@ -208,10 +119,12 @@
       when:
         - post_reboot_can_connect | bool
       no_log: true
+      vars:
+        _primary: "{{ (system_cfg.users | dict2items | selectattr('value.password', 'defined') | first) }}"
       ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        ansible_user: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].name }}"
+        ansible_user: "{{ _primary.key }}"
-        ansible_password: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].password }}"
+        ansible_password: "{{ _primary.value.password }}"
-        ansible_become_password: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].password }}"
+        ansible_become_password: "{{ _primary.value.password }}"
         ansible_ssh_extra_args: "-o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no"
         ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
 

roles/configuration/tasks/sudo.yml

@@ -15,15 +15,15 @@
     validate: /usr/sbin/visudo --check --file=%s
 
 - name: Deploy per-user sudoers rules
-  when: item.sudo | default(false)
+  when: item.value.sudo | default(false)
   vars:
     configuration_sudoers_rule: >-
-      {{ item.sudo if item.sudo is string else 'ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL' }}
+      {{ item.value.sudo if item.value.sudo is string else 'ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL' }}
   ansible.builtin.copy:
-    content: "{{ item.name }} {{ configuration_sudoers_rule }}\n"
+    content: "{{ item.key }} {{ configuration_sudoers_rule }}\n"
-    dest: "/mnt/etc/sudoers.d/{{ item.name }}"
+    dest: "/mnt/etc/sudoers.d/{{ item.key }}"
     mode: "0440"
     validate: /usr/sbin/visudo --check --file=%s
-  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users }}"
+  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users | dict2items }}"
   loop_control:
-    label: "{{ item.name }}"
+    label: "{{ item.key }}"

roles/configuration/tasks/users.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 - name: Set root password
+  when: (system_cfg.root.password | default('') | string | length) > 0
   ansible.builtin.shell: >-
     set -o pipefail &&
     echo 'root:{{ system_cfg.root.password | password_hash("sha512") }}' | {{ chroot_command }} /usr/sbin/chpasswd -e
@@ -9,6 +10,13 @@
   changed_when: configuration_root_result.rc == 0
   no_log: true
 
+- name: Lock root account when no password is set
+  when: (system_cfg.root.password | default('') | string | length) == 0
+  ansible.builtin.command: >-
+    {{ chroot_command }} /usr/bin/passwd -l root
+  register: configuration_root_lock_result
+  changed_when: configuration_root_lock_result.rc == 0
+
 - name: Set root shell
   ansible.builtin.command: >-
     {{ chroot_command }} /usr/sbin/usermod --shell {{ system_cfg.root.shell }} root
@@ -18,44 +26,43 @@
 - name: Create user accounts
   vars:
     configuration_user_group: "{{ _configuration_platform.user_group }}"
-    # UID starts at 1000; safe for fresh installs only
     configuration_useradd_cmd: >-
       {{ chroot_command }} /usr/sbin/useradd --create-home --user-group
-      --uid {{ 1000 + ansible_loop.index0 }}
+      --uid {{ 1000 + _idx }}
-      --groups {{ configuration_user_group }} {{ item.name }}
+      --groups {{ configuration_user_group }} {{ item.key }}
-      --password {{ item.password | password_hash('sha512') }} --shell {{ item.shell | default('/bin/bash') }}
+      {{ ('--password ' ~ (item.value.password | password_hash('sha512'))) if (item.value.password | default('') | string | length > 0) else '' }}
+      --shell {{ item.value.shell | default('/bin/bash') }}
   ansible.builtin.command: "{{ configuration_useradd_cmd }}"
-  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users }}"
+  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users | dict2items }}"
   loop_control:
-    extended: true
+    index_var: _idx
-    label: "{{ item.name }}"
+    label: "{{ item.key }}"
   register: configuration_user_result
   changed_when: configuration_user_result.rc == 0
   no_log: true
 
 - name: Ensure .ssh directory exists
-  when: item['keys'] | default([]) | length > 0
+  when: (item.value['keys'] | default([]) | length) > 0
   ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: "/mnt/home/{{ item.name }}/.ssh"
+    path: "/mnt/home/{{ item.key }}/.ssh"
     state: directory
-    owner: "{{ 1000 + ansible_loop.index0 }}"
+    owner: "{{ 1000 + _idx }}"
-    group: "{{ 1000 + ansible_loop.index0 }}"
+    group: "{{ 1000 + _idx }}"
     mode: "0700"
-  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users }}"
+  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users | dict2items }}"
   loop_control:
-    extended: true
+    index_var: _idx
-    label: "{{ item.name }}"
+    label: "{{ item.key }}"
 
-- name: Add SSH public keys to authorized_keys
+- name: Deploy SSH authorized_keys
-  vars:
+  when: (item.value['keys'] | default([]) | length) > 0
-    configuration_uid: "{{ 1000 + (system_cfg.users | map(attribute='name') | list).index(item.0.name) }}"
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
-  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
+    content: "{{ item.value['keys'] | join('\n') }}\n"
-    path: "/mnt/home/{{ item.0.name }}/.ssh/authorized_keys"
+    dest: "/mnt/home/{{ item.key }}/.ssh/authorized_keys"
-    line: "{{ item.1 }}"
+    owner: "{{ 1000 + _idx }}"
-    owner: "{{ configuration_uid }}"
+    group: "{{ 1000 + _idx }}"
-    group: "{{ configuration_uid }}"
     mode: "0600"
-    create: true
+  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users | dict2items }}"
-  loop: "{{ system_cfg.users | subelements('keys', skip_missing=True) }}"
   loop_control:
-    label: "{{ item.0.name }}: {{ item.1[:40] }}..."
+    index_var: _idx
+    label: "{{ item.key }}"

roles/global_defaults/defaults/main.yml

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ system_defaults:
   mirror: ""
   packages: []
   disks: []
-  users: []
+  users: {}
   root:
     password: ""
     shell: "/bin/bash"
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ system_defaults:
     rhel_repo:
       source: "iso" # iso|satellite|none — how RHEL systems get packages post-install
       url: ""       # Satellite/custom repo URL when source=satellite
+    aur:
+      enabled: false
+      helper: "yay"  # yay|paru
+      user: "_aur_builder"
     chroot:
       tool: "arch-chroot" # arch-chroot|chroot|systemd-nspawn
 

roles/global_defaults/tasks/_normalize_system.yml

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
         }}
       # --- Storage & accounts ---
       disks: "{{ system_raw.disks | default([]) }}"
-      users: "{{ system_raw.users | default([]) }}"
+      users: "{{ system_raw.users | default({}) }}"
       root:
         password: "{{ system_raw.root.password | string }}"
         shell: "{{ system_raw.root.shell | default('/bin/bash') | string }}"

roles/global_defaults/tasks/_validate_input.yml

@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
     that:
       - system is mapping
       - system.network is not defined or system.network is mapping
-      - system.users is not defined or (system.users is iterable and system.users is not string and system.users is not mapping)
+      - system.users is not defined or system.users is mapping
       - system.root is not defined or system.root is mapping
       - system.luks is not defined or system.luks is mapping
       - system.features is not defined or system.features is mapping
-    fail_msg: "system and its nested keys (network, root, luks, features) must be dictionaries; system.users must be a list."
+    fail_msg: "system and its nested keys (network, root, luks, features, users) must be dictionaries."
     quiet: true
 
 - name: Validate DNS lists (not strings)
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@
     quiet: true
 
 - name: Validate system.users entries
-  when: system.users is defined and system.users | length > 0
+  when: system.users is defined and system.users is mapping and system.users | length > 0
   ansible.builtin.assert:
     that:
-      - item is mapping
+      - item.value is mapping
-      - item.name is defined and (item.name | string | length) > 0
+      - item.key | string | length > 0
-      - item['keys'] is not defined or (item['keys'] is iterable and item['keys'] is not string)
+      - item.value['keys'] is not defined or (item.value['keys'] is iterable and item.value['keys'] is not string)
-    fail_msg: "Each system.users[] entry must be a dict with 'name'; 'keys' must be a list."
+    fail_msg: "Each system.users entry must be a dict keyed by username; 'keys' must be a list."
     quiet: true
-  loop: "{{ system.users }}"
+  loop: "{{ system.users | dict2items }}"
   loop_control:
-    label: "{{ item.name | default('(unnamed)') }}"
+    label: "{{ item.key }}"
 
 - name: Validate system features input types
   when: system.features is defined

roles/global_defaults/tasks/main.yml

@@ -81,10 +81,12 @@
   when:
     - system_cfg.type == "virtual"
     - hypervisor_type != "vmware"
+  vars:
+    _primary: "{{ (system_cfg.users | dict2items | selectattr('value.password', 'defined') | first) }}"
   ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-    ansible_user: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].name }}"
+    ansible_user: "{{ _primary.key }}"
-    ansible_password: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].password }}"
+    ansible_password: "{{ _primary.value.password }}"
-    ansible_become_password: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].password }}"
+    ansible_become_password: "{{ _primary.value.password }}"
     ansible_ssh_extra_args: "-o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no"
   no_log: true
 

roles/global_defaults/tasks/validation.yml

@@ -261,13 +261,16 @@
     fail_msg: "Invalid system sizing. Check system.cpus, system.memory, and system.disks[0].size."
     quiet: true
 
-- name: Validate at least one user is defined
+- name: Validate at least one user with a password is defined
+  vars:
+    _pw_users: "{{ system_cfg.users | dict2items | selectattr('value.password', 'defined') | list }}"
   ansible.builtin.assert:
     that:
-      - system_cfg.users | default([]) | length > 0
+      - system_cfg.users | default({}) | length > 0
-      - system_cfg.users[0].name is defined and (system_cfg.users[0].name | string | length) > 0
+      - _pw_users | length > 0
-      - system_cfg.users[0].password is defined and (system_cfg.users[0].password | string | length) > 0
+      - _pw_users[0].key | string | length > 0
-    fail_msg: "At least one user with a name and password must be defined in system.users[]."
+      - _pw_users[0].value.password | string | length > 0
+    fail_msg: "At least one user with a password must be defined in system.users."
     quiet: true
   no_log: true
 

roles/virtualization/tasks/proxmox.yml

@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
           {%- endfor -%}
           {{ out }}
       community.proxmox.proxmox_kvm:
-        ciuser: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].name }}"
+        ciuser: "{{ (system_cfg.users | dict2items | selectattr('value.password', 'defined') | first).key }}"
-        cipassword: "{{ system_cfg.users[0].password }}"
+        cipassword: "{{ (system_cfg.users | dict2items | selectattr('value.password', 'defined') | first).value.password }}"
         ciupgrade: false
         vmid: "{{ system_cfg.id }}"
         name: "{{ hostname }}"

roles/virtualization/templates/cloud-user-data.yml.j2

@@ -4,17 +4,22 @@ ssh_pwauth: true
 package_update: false
 package_upgrade: false
 users:
-{% for user in system_cfg.users %}
+{% for username, attrs in system_cfg.users.items() %}
-  - name: "{{ user.name }}"
+  - name: "{{ username }}"
-    primary_group: "{{ user.name }}"
+    primary_group: "{{ username }}"
     groups: users
+{% if attrs.sudo | default(false) | bool %}
     sudo: "ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL"
-    passwd: "{{ user.password | password_hash('sha512') }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if attrs.password | default('') | length > 0 %}
+    passwd: "{{ attrs.password | password_hash('sha512') }}"
     lock_passwd: false
-{% set ssh_keys = user['keys'] | default([]) %}
+{% else %}
-{% if ssh_keys | length > 0 %}
+    lock_passwd: true
+{% endif %}
+{% if 'keys' in attrs and attrs['keys'] is iterable and attrs['keys'] is not string and attrs['keys'] | length > 0 %}
     ssh_authorized_keys:
-{% for key in ssh_keys %}
+{% for key in attrs['keys'] %}
       - "{{ key }}"
 {% endfor %}
 {% endif %}