Testing Your Plugin

Testing is an iterative process — preview your rendered output, deploy in a real scenario, check the logs, fix issues, and redeploy.

Step 1: Preview Draft

Before deploying, use the Preview tab in the plugin editor:

1. Enter sample values for each parameter
2. Click Preview Draft
3. Review the rendered YAML with all parameters injected

This catches common issues early — misspelled parameter names, broken Jinja2 syntax, missing defaults.

Step 2: Create a Test Scenario

Apply your plugin to a machine in a real scenario:

1. Open Rogue Architect and create a new scenario (or use an existing test scenario)
2. Add a machine with a compatible base template
3. Apply your plugin to the machine
4. Set parameter values
5. If your plugin has automated actions, review and accept the recommended changes
6. Launch a build

Linux machines install packages from the local APT mirror — no internet needed. Windows machines pull files from your plugin’s vault.

Step 3: Monitor Build Logs

Once the build starts, watch the build logs for your plugin’s Ansible task output:

• Green tasks — completed successfully
• Yellow tasks — changed something on the machine
• Red tasks — failed

Check the full Ansible output for error messages, warnings, and task details.

Step 4: Iterate

When you find issues:

1. Update your YAML in the plugin editor
2. Save — the system automatically regenerates build fragments
3. Re-deploy the scenario (or just the affected machine)
4. Every save creates a YAML history entry — use the inline diff editor to compare against previous versions

Step 5: Snapshot & Rollback

For faster iteration cycles, enable Snapshot Before Play on your plugin:

• Before your plugin runs, the system captures the VM’s current state
• If your plugin fails or produces unexpected results, revert the snapshot
• Re-test immediately without rebuilding the entire machine from scratch

This is especially useful for complex plugins (domain controllers, multi-step configurations) where rebuilding takes time.