AlmaLinux 10 Setup

Summary

Update system packages, install Ansible and required repositories, clone this repository, configure config.yml, and run the install.yml Ansible playbook to provision the full development environment.

The instructions below also work without using WSL.

This is step 3 of 3: System Requirements → Install AlmaLinux 10 → Setup Packages (this page).

All commands on this page are executed inside the AlmaLinux 10 shell (Linux), not in Windows Terminal. This is the same session left open at the end of the installation step. If you closed it, see Running on WSL 2 to reconnect first.

Update/Upgrade system packages:

sudo dnf upgrade -y

This step downloads packages over the internet and can take a few minutes depending on your connection speed and how many updates are pending.

You should see the below message, shown the first time you execute a command which requires elevated permissions (hence the sudo modifier at the beginning of the command).

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

    #1) Respect the privacy of others.
    #2) Think before you type.
    #3) With great power comes great responsibility.

For security reasons, the password you type will not be visible.

[sudo] password for dotkernel:

Input your AlmaLinux 10 password and hit Enter.

Install system packages:

sudo dnf install epel-release dnf-utils https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-$(rpm -E %almalinux).rpm -y

$(rpm -E %almalinux) resolves to your AlmaLinux major version (10), so this installs the matching Remi repository release package. dnf verifies the package's GPG signature before installing it, same as any other package.

Now, install the latest version of Ansible Core and run ansible-galaxy to install collections:

sudo dnf install ansible-core -y

ansible-galaxy collection install community.general community.mysql

Both of the above require internet access to download packages/collections from their respective repositories (dnf repos and Ansible Galaxy). If either command fails or times out, check your network connection first.

Move inside your home directory (it is /home/ followed by your AlmaLinux 10 username, for example: /home/dotkernel):

cd ~

Clone the alma-linux-10 branch of the dotkernel/development repository:

git clone --branch alma-linux-10 --single-branch https://github.com/dotkernel/development.git

Move inside the directory development/wsl:

cd development/wsl/

Duplicate config.yml.dist as config.yml:

cp config.yml.dist config.yml

Using your preferred text editor, open config.yml and fill in the empty fields:

• config.git.config."user.name" / "user.email": the identity Git will use for your commits inside AlmaLinux 10.
• config.mariadb.root_password: the password to set for MariaDB's root user (you'll use this to log into phpMyAdmin later).
• config.system.username: defaults to your current AlmaLinux 10 username automatically, usually no change needed.
• config.virtualhosts: a list of local domains to create virtualhosts for (see Virtualhosts); the default entry example.localhost can be removed or left as-is.

Save and close the file.

Install components by running the below Ansible command:

ansible-playbook -i hosts install.yml --ask-become-pass

The installation process will ask for your AlmaLinux 10 password, then iterate over each task in the playbook, and output a short summary with the results.

Once finished, check if everything works by opening in your browser:

If you are not using WSL 2, test the below using your server's IP address instead of localhost.

• http://localhost/: Apache's default home page
• http://localhost/info.php: PHP info page
• http://localhost/phpmyadmin/: PhpMyAdmin (login with root + the root password you configured in config.yml under mariadb -> root_password)

The installation is complete, your AlmaLinux 10 development environment is ready to use.

If you are using WSL 2, restart your Windows Terminal to find a new option in the tab selector, called AlmaLinux-10. Clicking it will open a new tab connected to AlmaLinux 10.

Next step

Your environment is now provisioned. Continue to Running on WSL 2 to learn how to (re)connect to your AlmaLinux 10 distro, or jump straight to Virtualhosts to host your first project.

FAQ

Q: What if config.yml doesn't exist yet?

A: Duplicate the provided template by running:

cp config.yml.dist config.yml

Then fill in the empty fields before running the playbook.

Q: What if the Ansible playbook fails partway through?

A: Review the summary output for the failed task, fix the underlying issue (for example, a misconfigured field in config.yml), and re-run:

ansible-playbook -i hosts install.yml --ask-become-pass

It is safe to re-run.

Q: What if ansible-galaxy collection install fails or times out?

A: This command downloads collections from Ansible Galaxy over the internet, so it fails if your network connection is down, unstable, or blocked by a proxy/firewall. Check your connection and re-run the command. It's safe to run again even if some collections already installed successfully.

Q: What if http://localhost/ doesn't load after installation?

A: If you are not using WSL 2, make sure you are using your server's IP address instead of localhost. Otherwise, confirm the playbook completed without errors and that your AlmaLinux 10 distro is still running.

Q: How do I log into phpMyAdmin?

A: Use the username root and the password you configured under mariadb -> root_password in config.yml.

Q: Can I run this setup without WSL?

A: Yes, the instructions work the same way on a non-WSL AlmaLinux system. You can then skip the WSL-specific notes.