Quick Start

Install

curl -fsSL https://winchstack.app/install.sh | sh

brew install davidklassen/tap/winch

Write the project

Create a directory for the project:

mkdir hello && cd hello

Create winch.yaml with the name and the login user of your server:

name: hello
hosts:
  web1.example.com:
    user: admin
steps:
  - name: Write the message of the day
    file:
      path: /etc/motd
      content: "Hello from winch.\n"

The step writes /etc/motd, the message that the server shows when you log in. winch logs in with ssh as user: root, or a user with passwordless sudo. If ssh web1.example.com does not work, add address: 203.0.113.10 under the host, with the address of your server.

Plan

To see what winch will change, run winch plan:

winch plan

web1.example.com: sending the helper (amd64)
web1.example.com
  hello
    ~ Write the message of the day: file /etc/motd
        @@ -1,7 +1,1 @@
        -
        -The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;
        -the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
        -individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.
        -
        -Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
        -permitted by applicable law.
        +Hello from winch.

1 host: 1 to change, 0 unchanged, 0 unknown
plan 71821526718fee56

The plan shows the change as a diff. Nothing changes yet.

Apply

To make the change, run winch apply. It shows the same plan and asks. Type y:

winch apply

Apply these changes? [y/N] y
web1.example.com: hello: ~ Write the message of the day: file /etc/motd

1 host: 1 changed, 0 unchanged

Log in to the server with ssh. It greets you with Hello from winch.

Run winch plan again:

1 host: 0 to change, 1 unchanged, 0 unknown
plan f219b2b3efa04f53

The server matches the project, so there is nothing to change.

Next

The User Guide builds a web server with a firewall, a static site, and HTTPS.