richt

Declarative Linux configuration

Know what will change.
Then apply it.

Richt turns YAML inventory into an executable host configuration plan. Define packages, files, and systemd processes. Inspect the changes before they reach your hosts.

Start with a local file Read the documentation
Local or SSHDNF4 / YUM4systemdGo CLI

A deliberate workflow

From desired state to reviewed action.

Preparation observes your hosts.
Apply changes them with your agreement.

  1. 01

    Define

    Assign ordered services to hosts in a YAML inventory.

  2. 02

    Diff

    Render templates and compare the desired state with the target.

  3. 03

    Review

    Inspect file changes, operations, and execution order.

  4. 04

    Apply

    Confirm the plan and execute its prepared inputs.

Start small

One host. One managed file.

Follow the quickstart

The repository’s local example writes a templated greeting to /var/tmp/richt-example/greeting.conf. Try it on a disposable Linux machine.

examples/files/inventory.yamlDownload
tags:
  example:
    services:
      greeting: {state: present}
    order: 10
    vars:
      greeting: Hello from Richt
services:
  greeting:
    order: 10
    file: service.yaml
hosts:
  - name: localhost
    tags: [example]
    transport:
      type: local
Terminal · from the repository root
# Inspect inventory without contacting hosts
./bin/richt inventory validate -i examples/files/inventory.yaml

# Observe changes and save prepared inputs
./bin/richt diff -i examples/files/inventory.yaml \
  -o /var/tmp/richt-example-plan.json

# Review the saved plan, then confirm
./bin/richt apply /var/tmp/richt-example-plan.json
Build with make build first. Apply requires terminal agreement unless you explicitly pass -y.

Services hold the resource details. See the service definition and Go template, or explore all runnable examples.

Prepared inputs. Explicit execution.

The plan is the handoff.

Prepare once, apply what you reviewed.

Saved JSON holds executable operations and rendered file contents. Apply uses those inputs without rereading inventory, templates, or secret sources, or recalculating the diff. How saved plans work

Use the host access you already have.

SSH uses your system OpenSSH client, current client configuration, keys, and agent. Sudo is explicit and noninteractive. Host execution is bounded; services stay ordered within each host. SSH and parallel apply

Continue with the same plan.

Progress is saved per task. A new explicit apply skips successful tasks and retries unfinished ones. A failed host blocks its later tasks while other hosts continue. Failure and continuation

Keep sensitive changes out of the display.

Local YAML secret sources resolve during preparation. Using a secret hides the entire file diff. Executable plans retain the real content and must stay private. Secrets and sensitive files

Build it. Inspect it. Try it.

Start with a change you can read.

Build Richt from source and walk through the local file example.

Open the quickstart