What Is a File Sharing Service and How to Choose One

Ansible is an open-source tool used for automating tasks related to management, configuration, and maintenance of servers or network devices. Official website and documentation: https://docs.ansible.com/ How Ansible Works So, what does Ansible do? It connects to selected nodes (hosts) from your inventory and sequentially executes tasks to bring them into the desired state. playbook: a file describing tasks and their sequence task: a task, a single action for verification or execution inventory: grouping and list of managed nodes (hosts) Advantages The simplest yet most powerful automation tool Does not require additional software installed on managed nodes (only Python is needed, which usually comes “out of the box”) Uses the standard SSH protocol for connections Only necessary changes are applied Operations can be safely re-run (the system won’t make redundant changes) Ensures consistent system state Allows clear and convenient infrastructure descriptions In addition, Ansible has a large community that develops and supports various modules. Where Is Ansible Used? Main use cases: System preparation and configuration Automated software deployment, package and service management Automation of CI/CD processes Network device configuration (network management) System auditing, applying security policies, and automatic compliance enforcement It’s important to understand that Ansible is just a tool. Choosing the right tool depends on the task at hand. For example, theoretically, you can use Ansible to manage Kubernetes (k8s) configurations, but there are better tools for that purpose: Helm, helmwave, and kustomize. Another example: with Ansible, you can create virtual machines and containers in clouds or hypervisors, but Terraform is better suited for such tasks. Installing Ansible Ansible can be installed as a standalone package or via Python libraries. Installation instructions for different operating systems are available in the documentation. For installation, the following VPS at Hostman is sufficient: OS: Ubuntu 24.04 CPU: 1 × 3.3 GHz RAM: 1 GB NVMe: 15 GB Ansible Configuration Settings: Key Files and Parameters Configuration File Path to the configuration file: /srv/ansible/ansible.cfg Example configuration: [defaults] inventory = ./hosts.yaml host_key_checking = False log_path = /var/log/ansible.log vault_password_file = ./vault.key force_color = 1 callback_result_format = yaml [ssh_connection] timeout = 10 retries = 2 server_alive_interval = 60 pipelining = True ssh_args = "-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no" scp_if_ssh = True allow_world_readable_tmpfiles = True Section [defaults] inventory = ./hosts.yaml: specifies the path to the hosts file. This file stores information about all managed hosts and organizes them into logical groups. host_key_checking = False: by default, Ansible enables host key checking. Host key checking protects against server spoofing. Not recommended in production, but convenient for development. log_path = /var/log/ansible.log: path to the log file. vault_password_file = ./vault.key: path to the master password file, used for Ansible Vault encryption. force_color = 1: enables colored logs for readability. callback_result_format = yaml: formats output results as YAML. Some parameters can be set as environment variables, for example: ANSIBLE_HOST_KEY_CHECKING=False ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR=1 Other parameters, such as inventory or vault_password_file, can be set in the command line when launching: ansible-playbook ansible/debug.yaml -i ansible/hosts.yaml But it is more convenient and clearer to store basic settings in the file ansible/ansible.cfg. Ansible Inventory: Managing Hosts To manage hosts, the file ansible/hosts.yaml is used. Example: all: vars: ansible_user: ansible hosts: 5.181.182.204: # your host IP or domain ansible_user: root # ansible_password: 'SuperPass' ansible_ssh_private_key_file: ./ansible/ssh/id_rsa As connection points, you can use either an IP address or a domain name. In this example, there is no domain name, so we specify the external IP address obtained when creating the Hostman VM. Note: the user password must be enclosed in quotes. Connections usually use either a password or a certificate (public key must be pre-installed on remote nodes). For experiments, it’s easier to use a password. When using a private key, you must check file permissions for id_rsa; only the owner should have read access; no one else can copy or modify the key: chmod -R 400 ./ansible/ssh/id_rsa In the file ansible/hosts.yaml, the variable vars.ansible_user is set for demonstration. Inside hosts.ansible_user, the same variable is redefined as root. If you don’t override it and only define it at the higher vars level, you can avoid duplicating common variables across different hosts. Basic Commands and Usage Examples Let’s start with simple tasks that don’t make changes to the system but help to understand the structure of commands. For example, we have the ansible/debug.yaml file, a simple playbook example. Run it: ansible-playbook ansible/debug.yaml In the output, we’ll see various system information and go through the commands from the file ansible/debug.yaml in order: - hosts: all vars: my_variable: aaaawww tasks: - name: Show ansible variable debug: msg: "variable: {{ my_variable }}" - name: Show environment variable debug: var: lookup('env', 'ANSIBLE_CONFIG') - name: Show OS release info debug: msg: "{{ ansible_distribution }} {{ ansible_distribution_version}} {{ansible_distribution_release}}" hosts: defines which nodes (hosts) to run commands on. Since we specified only one host in ansible/hosts.yaml, all tasks will be executed on that host. vars: allows us to set variables at the playbook level. tasks: sequence of tasks to run. Output of the variable set in vars: - name: Show ansible variable   debug:     msg: "variable: {{ my_variable }}" Output of an environment variable: - name: Show environment variable   debug:     var: lookup('env', 'ANSIBLE_CONFIG') Output of OS and hardware info: - name: Show OS release info debug: msg: "{{ ansible_distribution }} {{ ansible_distribution_version}} {{ansible_distribution_release}}" - name: Show total CPU + RAM debug: msg: | CPU cores: {{ ansible_processor_cores * ansible_processor_count }} Total memory: {{ ansible_memtotal_mb }} MB Where does Ansible get this data? By default, unless gather_facts: false is set, Ansible automatically collects system information when connecting to a host. To view all collected information, you can use this task: tasks: - name: Show all facts debug: var: ansible_facts Each task is described using a module and its parameters: name: task name (arbitrary) debug: name of the module (from the list of available ones, depending on goals) debug.var: module parameter In the documentation, you may also see examples like: tasks:   - name: Show all facts     ansible.builtin.debug:       var: ansible_facts ansible.builtin.debug is the same as the debug module (the ansible.builtin prefix can be omitted). debug and other standard modules are part of Ansible’s core. All built-in modules can be found in the documentation. apt Module (Debian/Ubuntu Package Manager) See Documentation for the module. - name: Install packages   apt:     pkg:       - htop       - curl Even without documentation, it’s clear that this task will install the htop and curl packages (equivalent to apt install -y htop curl). Checking Variables with when and assert Goal: Check that the variable my_age contains a number between 18 and 100. - name: Check var hosts: all vars: my_age: 42 tasks: - name: Checking the type of a variable fail: msg: "The variable must be an integer" when: my_age is not integer - name: The value of the my_age variable must be between 18 and 100 assert: that: - my_age <= 100 - my_age >= 18 fail_msg: "Incorrect my_age value - must be from 0 to 100" success_msg: "The value of my_age is correct" At the start, the variable my_age = 42 is set. The first task checks with when if it’s actually an integer; if not, the playbook stops with an error. The second task checks if the value is within the range. If you run the playbook, it will succeed. But if you override the variable in the launch command: ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/assert.yaml --extra-vars "{ my_age: 769 }" You’ll get an error and the playbook will stop: TASK [The value of the my_age variable must be between 18 and 100] ************** fatal: [5.181.182.204]: FAILED! => assertion: my_age <= 100 changed: false evaluated_to: false msg: Incorrect my_age value - must be from 0 to 100 Loops Loops in Ansible look like this: - hosts: all tasks: - name: Register loop output as a variable shell: "echo {{ item }}" loop: - "test" - "test2" - "test3" register: echo In this task, the echo command will run for each element in the loop list. Additional functions: map: a basic for loop; iterates over list items. select / reject: conditional for; creates a subset of a list matching (or not matching) conditions. selectattr / rejectattr: similar, but works on specific attributes of list elements. Ansible selectattr: Filtering Data in Playbooks Example: select only red fruits from a list using selectattr. - hosts: all vars: fruits_list: - name: apple color: red - name: banana color: yellow - name: cherry color: red tasks: - name: Selectattr show red fruits debug: msg: "{{ item.name }} is red." loop: "{{ fruits_list | selectattr('color', '==', 'red') | list }}" copy Module Playbook: ansible/playbooks/copy.yaml See Documentation for the module. - name: Copy files to remote locations hosts: all tasks: - name: Copy file with owner and permissions copy: src: ../files dest: /tmp owner: root group: root mode: '0644' This task copies the directory from ansible/files to /tmp/files on the remote host. If src is a directory, it is copied recursively. If the path ends with /, only the contents are copied into the destination. This behavior is similar to rsync. To copy files from a remote host back to local, use the fetch module (see documentation). template Module See Documentation for the module. Templates let you create dynamic files by inserting variable values. Ansible uses the Jinja2 templating engine. Example template file ansible/files/simple_template.j2 (not required to use .j2 extension, but recommended): # This is a simple example of using a template. name: {{ name }} task: {{ task }} Playbook using the template: - name: Template a file out to a target host hosts: all tasks: - name: Simple template a file template: src: ../files/simple_template.j2 dest: /tmp/test.conf vars: name: "Ansible" task: "Template" As the result, the remote host receives the file with substituted variables. You may want to check an online service for creating and testing templates: tech-playground.com. Ansible Web UI The main way to run and use Ansible is the command line, but there are projects that provide a graphical interface for managing tasks: Ansible AWX (free, Apache License 2.0) Red Hat Ansible Tower (commercial) Semaphore (free, MIT License) Semaphore UI Ansible vs Other Automation Systems Infrastructure automation tools fall into two main categories: Configuration management tools: Ansible Chef SaltStack Puppet Their main job: configuring and managing software on already existing servers. They automate software installation, package updates, and system settings. Provisioning tools: Terraform Pulumi Their job: creating the infrastructure itself: virtual machines, networks, databases. This is a broader approach that starts from the foundation of IT systems. Often, these tools are combined, with Terraform + Ansible being the most common pairing. Feature Highlights Ansible Easiest to start with No extra software required on nodes (besides Python) Uses SSH protocol for connections Chef Uses cooking metaphors (recipes, cookbooks) Suitable for complex infrastructures Strong support for configuration testing Steeper learning curve SaltStack High performance thanks to optimized architecture Good for large-scale solutions Modules are written in Python Works well in distributed systems Puppet Powerful for large enterprises Well documented More complex to learn, but very powerful Great for standardizing configurations In any case, we recommend starting with Ansible when learning infrastructure automation. Summary In this article, we aimed to show Ansible’s built-in modules and basic usage examples as clearly as possible. However, the most effective way to learn such tools is practice. Ansible skills are often required in job postings for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and SREs. Next steps for learning: Roles Encryption with ansible-vault Community Collections

Vibe coding is a completely new perspective on programming that dramatically changes the traditional understanding of the development process. Instead of writing code line by line, a developer expresses their thoughts in human language, and a special system based on artificial intelligence converts these ideas into functional program fragments.. The concept of vibe coding, along with the term itself, first became known in early 2025 thanks to AI researcher and OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy. The principle is somewhat reminiscent of conducting an orchestra: the human, acting as the conductor, sets the main theme, while the neural network takes over all the technical work of writing the program’s source code, debugging it, and finding errors. This approach reduces the amount of routine work and shifts the emphasis to the programmer’s creativity and intent, allowing them to focus on the creative process while minimizing repetitive tasks. Today we will take a closer look at the process of vibe coding, discuss the technologies and tools that enable it, and draw conclusions about the prospects and future of this approach. Tools and Technologies for Vibe Coding There are many programs and tools available for getting started with vibe coding. They can help any vibe coder move from describing ideas in plain language to generating working applications. Below are the main and most popular services and platforms actively used in this process. GitHub Copilot GitHub Copilot is a tool developed by GitHub, the creator of the well-known IT project hosting platform. Its functionality is based on artificial intelligence, specifically multiple models including: GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.5, o1, o3, o3-mini, o4-mini, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Gemini 2.5 Pro. The tool integrates into different code editors such as VS Code or JetBrains IDEs. Copilot can also be used via a web interface or in console mode (for example, through the Windows terminal). Features include code autocompletion, generating functions or whole blocks of a program based on user requests, and providing access to libraries and ready-made templates. GitHub Copilot is a paid subscription service, though a free trial with limited functionality is available. Copilot offers four paid tiers that differ in the number of allowed requests and in the availability of additional features. Cursor Cursor is a specialized IDE (Integrated Development Environment) created for fast and efficient program code writing. It runs on the GPT-4 model. With Cursor, users can: Generate code in many supported programming languages (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Swift, C, Rust, etc.). Detect and fix errors in program code. Receive explanations of any code fragments being developed. Additional features include: Intelligent autocompletion. Automatic documentation creation (such as README files). Multi-Edits and Smart Rewrites for quick code refactoring. Claude Code (Anthropic) Claude Code is a programming tool built on the Claude Sonnet 3.7 model. It can create programs, run tests, and fix errors. Developed by the American tech company Anthropic, Claude Code was first publicly announced in March 2023. Claude Code was specifically designed with a focus on working with source code and programming-related tasks. It assists developers in writing and debugging code as well as solving problems across different programming languages. Unique features include: analyzing images, screenshots, and UI elements in order to provide recommendations or fix errors. Claude Code works through natural language text commands. Like other language models, it relies on machine learning and AI to understand context and generate responses, making it a valuable tool for developers. Windsurf Windsurf is an IDE developed by the startup Codeium, positioned as the first “agent-based” IDE. Windsurf uses specialized autonomous agents capable of handling complex tasks. Its features include: Code autocompletion. Cascade (deep real-time understanding of code and context, including dependency and project structure analysis). AI Flows (synchronization with developer actions, minimizing the need to re-explain tasks). Replit Ghostwriter Replit Ghostwriter is an AI-supported service designed to generate programs without manually writing code. You just need to enter a text request describing the desired program. It significantly accelerates and simplifies the coding process. Features include autocompletion, code generation, transformation, and explanation. All of the tools listed above incorporate different language models such as GPT and Claude, trained on enormous datasets that include source code, documentation, and user blogs. Each service also has unique features. For example, Cursor supports voice input, allowing developers to use speech instead of text prompts when generating ideas. Advantages and Limitations of Vibe Coding Advantages Development speed. Vibe coding drastically speeds up development since AI takes on error detection and debugging. For example, a simple game or website can be created in a few hours instead of days. Support for beginners. New programmers or non-technical users can realize their ideas simply by describing them in words. Tools like Copilot are also useful for learning the basics and syntax of programming languages. Automation of routine tasks. AI handles repetitive tasks like bug fixing, testing, and debugging, freeing time for creative or business-related work. Integration of external technologies. Users can experiment with new technologies without prior experience. For instance, when building a microservice app that requires a database or message broker, AI can help integrate external services correctly. Limitations Quality of generated code. Generated code may contain bugs or vulnerabilities, which is particularly risky if developers use it without testing. Limited use in production. In production environments—especially critical systems like government or healthcare—vibe coding carries risks due to potential issues with both syntax and logic. The resulting code may fail or negatively impact other system components. Dependence on AI. The more developers rely on AI, the more likely they are to lose their ability to write code manually. AI-level limitations. AI may not always correctly process requests. For overly complex prompts, the system may fail to generate code altogether, or misinterpret complicated logic, resulting in incorrect code. Practical Applications of Vibe Coding Vibe coding is already being actively used in various fields, from startups to game development and commercial products. Examples include: Game prototyping. Microsoft developer Peter Yan created a simple 3D shooter prototype using Cursor and Claude 3.7 Sonnet. He verbally described what he wanted, and AI wrote, debugged, and executed the code, producing a functional prototype. Another case: indie developer Levesio built a flight simulator and sold ad space inside the game. In 10 days, he earned over $38,000. Attracting investment. Supabase, Inc. (founded in 2020) raised $200 million in 2025, partly due to vibe coding’s popularity. Supabase simplifies SQL database setup for apps, which fits perfectly with vibe coding tools. Developers use Supabase as a backend service while generating frontend and logic code with AI, speeding up app creation. Application development. Big companies also experiment with vibe coding. In 2023, Apple launched an experiment allowing users without technical backgrounds to create apps by dictating features to Siri. With vibe coding tools like Copilot, this concept became reality. Course creation. AI expert Andrew Ng launched the course Vibe Coding 101, where students learn to build apps using AI tools. The course spans 7 lessons with a total runtime of 94 minutes, teaching the basics of AI-assisted coding. These examples show vibe coding works well for experiments, learning, and rapid idea prototyping. However, for production use, all AI-generated code requires careful testing. The Future of Vibe Coding and the Developer Profession Although vibe coding changes the development paradigm, it cannot yet replace traditional programming entirely. It should be seen as a new tool in the developer’s toolkit. By 2027, experts predict AI will generate up to 25% of code overall, and in some scenarios, as much as 90%. This won’t eliminate the programmer profession, but it will redefine it: developers will focus less on coding itself and more on strategy, design, and quality control. Positive prospects: Simplified development process. Anyone with an idea can create an app, increasing innovation and startups. Shift in responsibilities. Developers will work more on architecture, business logic, and creative tasks. Increased investment. Startups like Codeium and Cursor are already attracting millions, accelerating vibe coding tool growth. Challenges: Loss of skills. Heavy reliance on vibe coding may prevent junior developers from learning core principles, syntax, and libraries. Higher hiring standards. Companies may require stronger skills in code review, making entry-level careers harder. Security risks. AI-generated code can introduce vulnerabilities, requiring thorough testing. Conclusion Despite its huge potential, vibe coding won’t spread everywhere. It will be difficult to use in critical systems where traditional programming remains irreplaceable. Developers will also need to adapt to new demands, mastering prompt engineering and strengthening critical thinking. Vibe coding reimagines the development process and expands the scope of creativity—but like all neural network tools, it requires responsible use.

VMware virtualization is an advanced technology that allows multiple independent operating systems to run on a single physical device. It creates virtual machines (VMs) that emulate fully functional computers, ensuring their isolation and efficient use of hardware resources. Virtualization enables the distribution of a server's computing power among multiple VMs, each functioning autonomously and supporting its own operating system and applications. This makes the technology highly valuable in corporate and cloud environments. In this article, we will explore how VMware virtualization works and review its key products. How VMware Virtualization Works The foundation of the technology is the hypervisor—a software platform that manages virtual machines and their interaction with physical hardware. The hypervisor allocates resources (CPU, RAM, disks, network) and ensures VM isolation, preventing them from affecting each other. Hypervisors are divided into two types: Type 1 (Native, Bare-Metal) These hypervisors run directly on physical hardware without an intermediate operating system. They offer high performance and are widely used in corporate data centers. Example: VMware ESXi. Type 2 (Hosted) These are installed on top of an operating system, which simplifies usage but reduces performance due to the additional layer. Examples: VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion. VMware provides comprehensive virtualization solutions, including products such as vSphere, ESXi, and vCenter. These allow the creation and management of VMs while efficiently distributing server resources. For example, the ESXi hypervisor operates at the hardware level, ensuring reliable isolation and dynamic resource allocation. vCenter offers centralized management of server clusters, supporting features like live VM migration (vMotion), virtual networks (NSX), and storage (vSAN). VMware Product Line for Virtualization VMware offers a wide range of tools for different virtualization tasks. Here’s an overview of key products and their applications: VMware Workstation What it is: Software that allows running multiple virtual machines on a single physical computer or laptop. Supports multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, BSD, and Solaris. Features include snapshot creation and built-in support for graphics components such as DirectX and OpenGL. Purpose: Used for creating and testing applications in isolated virtual environments, emulating various operating systems and configurations. Who it’s for: Developers, QA engineers, and other IT professionals needing to test software or explore new technologies. Also suitable for beginners and students learning the basics of virtualization. VMware Fusion What it is: A version of VMware Workstation for Apple computers. It offers similar functionality but supports a more limited set of operating systems. Purpose: Allows running services and applications, including Windows apps, on Mac computers without installing an additional operating system for testing or development. Who it’s for: Mac users who need to run Windows applications. Also used by developers creating cross-platform applications on macOS. VMware Horizon What it is: A virtualization environment providing virtual desktops (VDI) and applications. Enables centralized management of virtual desktops, apps, and services. Purpose: Offers remote access to desktops and applications, simplifying management and enhancing data security. Who it’s for: Companies needing to organize remote work and ensure secure access to corporate resources. Can also be used for centralized workstation management. VMware Cloud Foundation What it is: An integrated software platform for managing hybrid clouds. Provides a unified solution that automates and scales cloud infrastructure. Purpose: Simplifies deployment and management of private and hybrid clouds, providing a consistent approach to infrastructure and automation. Who it’s for: Large enterprises and organizations that want scalable cloud infrastructures supporting hybrid scenarios. VMware ESXi What it is: A Type 1 hypervisor for creating and managing virtual machines. Installed on physical servers without requiring an operating system. Purpose: Used for creating and managing a large number of VMs and other virtual devices, optimizing resource usage and ensuring high reliability. Who it’s for: Medium and large enterprises. Ideal for data center use. VMware vCenter What it is: A centralized platform for managing VMware virtual components. Controls ESXi hosts, virtual machines, and data storage. Purpose: Simplifies management of numerous virtual machines and hypervisors, offering full control over the virtual infrastructure. Who it’s for: Large organizations needing centralized management of their virtualized environment. VMware vSphere What it is: A virtualization platform for creating, managing, and running multiple VMs on a single physical server. Comprises VMware ESXi and the VMware vCenter Server management system. Purpose: Provides a scalable and reliable environment for critical applications, supporting high availability and fault tolerance. Who it’s for: Enterprises of any size that require a robust virtual infrastructure. Alternative Products Although VMware leads the virtualization market, there are many other software products—both free and commercial—for virtualization, including: Proxmox VE Microsoft Hyper-V XenServer Red Hat Virtualization oVirt OpenStack Nutanix AHV Oracle VirtualBox QEMU/KVM Parallels Desktop Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Nutanix Frame Virtualization Capabilities Virtualization offers the following advantages: Isolation: Each VM operates independently, minimizing failure risks. Flexibility: Quick creation, cloning, and migration of VMs across servers. Efficiency: Optimized use of server resources. High Availability: Technologies like vMotion and Fault Tolerance ensure uninterrupted operation. Automation: Tools simplify deployment and monitoring. Business Benefits of Virtualization Virtualization provides businesses with opportunities to optimize processes and improve efficiency: Reduce hardware costs by consolidating servers. Quickly deploy new applications without purchasing additional hardware. Enable remote access to workstations (e.g., via VMware Horizon). Simplify infrastructure management with vCenter. Scale IT resources to support company growth. Conclusion In today’s article, we explored the principles of virtualization using VMware hypervisors—a powerful tool for optimizing, scaling, and securing IT infrastructure. We reviewed the VMware product line, each product offering unique features for specific tasks. Key VMware product capabilities include: Virtual machine management: Full lifecycle support for VMs, including creation and configuration. Clustering and automated load balancing: High Availability and Distributed Resource Scheduler technologies ensure uptime and efficient resource use. Virtual network segmentation and protection: VMware NSX enables secure and flexible network configurations. Virtualized storage creation: vSAN technology ensures efficient management of data storage.