关于InSpec脚本开发及Ubuntu16.04安装Atom的技术咨询

Hey there! Let's tackle your two questions about InSpec and Atom installation on Ubuntu 16.04 one by one:

Great news—you don’t have to become a Ruby expert to create InSpec controls for CIS benchmarks! While InSpec’s core is built on Ruby, it supports YAML-based controls which are far more approachable if you’re not familiar with Ruby syntax.

For most standard CIS benchmark checks, you can define controls using a structured YAML format instead of writing raw Ruby. Here’s a quick example of a YAML control that enforces a common CIS requirement (disabling SSH root login):

title: 'CIS Ubuntu 16.04 Benchmark - SSH Hardening'
controls:
  - id: 'ssh-01'
    title: 'Disable SSH Root Login'
    impact: 1.0
    desc: 'Ensure root user cannot log in via SSH, per CIS benchmark guidelines'
    describe:
      sshd_config:
        its:
          - name: 'PermitRootLogin'
            should eq: 'no'

If you need to build more complex checks later, you can mix small bits of Ruby into your YAML controls, but for the majority of CIS requirements, YAML will get the job done. You can also use InSpec’s built-in profile generators to scaffold out your project structure without writing any code upfront.

You’re definitely not alone here—Ubuntu 16.04 is an end-of-life (EOL) release, and Atom’s official packages no longer support it. Here are a few workarounds that have worked for other users:

• Install an older Atom version: The last Atom builds compatible with Ubuntu 16.04 are around the 1.58.x release. Grab the corresponding .deb package, then install it with:

  sudo dpkg -i atom-amd64.deb
  sudo apt-get install -f  # Fix any missing dependencies
  

• Try the Snap package: Ubuntu 16.04 has basic Snap support. Run this command to install Atom via Snap (note: this will install an older, compatible build):

  sudo snap install atom --classic
  

• Switch to a more supported editor: Since Ubuntu 16.04 is outdated, consider editors that still offer support for it, like VS Code (has official deb packages for older Ubuntu releases) or Sublime Text. Both work seamlessly for writing InSpec scripts (whether Ruby or YAML) and have better long-term support for legacy systems.
• Fix GPG key errors: If you’re seeing invalid key warnings when using the Atom repo, re-add the official key with:

  wget -qO - https://packagecloud.io/AtomEditor/atom/gpgkey | sudo apt-key add -
  sudo apt update
  

  Keep in mind this might not resolve the core issue of Atom dropping EOL Ubuntu support, but it can fix repo-related installation blocks.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Aicha KERMICHE