diff --git a/scripts/ansible-2.6.x b/scripts/ansible-2.6.x
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7228ccb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ansible-2.6.x
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+#!/bin/bash -e
+
+echo -e '\n\nSTRONGLY RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE: (1) remove all prior versions of Ansible using "apt purge ansible" and/or "pip uninstall ansible" and (2) clear out all lines containing ansible from /etc/apt/sources.list and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*\n'
+
+echo -e 'COMPLETE INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS:\nhttps://github.com/iiab/iiab/wiki/IIAB-Installation#do-everything-from-scratch\n'
+
+echo -e 'NOW ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL THE LATEST ANSIBLE 2.6.x:'
+echo -e 'Ensure you'"'"'re online before running this (/opt/iiab/iiab/scripts/ansible-2.6.x)\n'
+
+echo -e 'ALTERNATIVES: Run scripts/ansible-2.5.x, or scripts/ansible for the latest.\n\n'
+
+
+GOOD_VER="2.6.0"      # Ansible version for OLPC XO laptops (pip install).
+                      # On other OS's we attempt to install/upgrade/pin to the latest Ansible 2.6.x
+CURR_VER="undefined"
+# below are unused for future use
+# URL="NA"
+
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+if [ ! `command -v ansible-playbook` ]; then   # "command -v" is POSIX compliant; also catches built-in commands like "cd"
+    echo "Installing --- Please Wait"
+    if [ -f /etc/centos-release ]; then
+        yum -y install ca-certificates nss epel-release
+        yum -y install git bzip2 file findutils gzip hg svn sudo tar which unzip xz zip libselinux-python
+        yum -y install python-pip python-setuptools python-wheel patch
+        yum -y install http://releases.ansible.com/ansible/rpm/release/epel-7-x86_64/ansible-2.6.0-1.el7.ans.noarch.rpm
+#    elif [ -f /etc/fedora-release ]; then
+#        CURR_VER=`grep VERSION_ID /etc/*elease | cut -d= -f2`
+#        URL=https://github.com/jvonau/iiab/blob/ansible/vars/fedora-$CURR_VER.yml
+#        dnf -y install ansible git bzip2 file findutils gzip hg svn sudo tar which unzip xz zip libselinux-python
+#        dnf -y install python-pip python-setuptools python-wheel patch
+    elif [ -f /etc/olpc-release ]; then
+        yum -y install ca-certificates nss
+        yum -y install git bzip2 file findutils gzip hg svn sudo tar which unzip xz zip libselinux-python
+        yum -y install python-pip python-setuptools python-wheel patch
+        pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel #EOL just do it
+        pip install ansible==$GOOD_VER --disable-pip-version-check
+    # Parens are optional, but greatly clarify :)
+    elif (grep -qi ubuntu /etc/lsb-release 2> /dev/null) || (grep -qi ubuntu /etc/os-release); then
+        apt -y install python-pip python-setuptools python-wheel patch
+        #apt-add-repository -y ppa:ansible/ansible
+        apt-add-repository -y ppa:ansible/ansible-2.6
+    # elif UBUNTU MUST REMAIN ABOVE (as Ubuntu ALSO contains /etc/debian_version, which would trigger the line just below)
+    elif [ -f /etc/debian_version ] || (grep -qi raspbian /etc/*elease) ; then
+        if ( ! grep -qi ansible /etc/apt/sources.list) && [ ! -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ansible ]; then
+            apt update
+            #apt -y install dirmngr python-pip python-setuptools python-wheel patch
+            apt -y install dirmngr
+            #echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible/ubuntu xenial main" \
+            #     >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/iiab-ansible.list
+            echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible-2.6/ubuntu xenial main" \
+                 >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/iiab-ansible.list
+            apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 93C4A3FD7BB9C367
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "WARN: Could not detect distro or distro unsupported"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+else
+    #CURR_VER=`ansible --version | head -n 1 | cut -f 2 -d " "`
+    CURR_VER=`ansible --version | head -1 | awk '{print $2}'`  # to match iiab-install
+    echo "Currently installed Ansible version is: $CURR_VER"
+    echo -e "INTERNET-IN-A-BOX GENERALLY REQUIRES ANSIBLE VERSION: $GOOD_VER or higher\n"
+    if [ -f /etc/centos-release ] || [ -f /etc/fedora-release ]; then
+        echo "Please use your system's package manager (or pip if nec) to update Ansible."
+        exit 0
+    elif [ -f /etc/olpc-release ]; then
+        echo "Please use pip package manager to update Ansible."
+        exit 0
+    #fi
+    #if [[ `grep -qi ansible /etc/apt/sources.list` ]] || [ -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ansible*.list ]; then
+    elif (grep -qi ansible /etc/apt/sources.list) || (ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*ansible*.list >/dev/null 2>&1) ; then
+        #echo "Ansible repo(s) found within /etc/apt/sources.list*"
+        echo -e 'MANUAL INTERVENTION URGED:\nANSIBLE REPO(S) FOUND WITHIN /etc/apt/sources.list AND/OR /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*ansible*.list -- MUST CONTAIN LINE "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible-2.6/ubuntu xenial main" IF YOU WANT THE LATEST ANSIBLE 2.6.x -- AND REMOVE ALL SIMILAR LINES TO ENSURE ANSIBLE UPDATES CLEANLY -- then re-run this script.\n'
+    else
+        echo -e 'Upstream ansible source repo not found:\nPLEASE UNINSTALL ANSIBLE (run "apt purge ansible" or "pip uninstall ansible", depending how Ansible was originally installed) THEN RE-RUN THIS SCRIPT.'
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ ! -f /etc/centos-release ] && [ ! -f /etc/fedora-release ] && [ ! -f /etc/olpc-release ]; then
+    # Align IIAB with Ansible community's latest official release
+    echo "Using apt to check for updates, then install/upgrade ansible"
+    apt update
+    apt -y --allow-downgrades install ansible=2.6*
+
+    # TEMPORARILY USE ANSIBLE 2.4.4 (REMOVE IT WITH "pip uninstall ansible")
+    #pip install ansible==2.4.4
+
+    # TEMPORARILY USE ANSIBLE 2.4.2 DUE TO 2.4.3 MEMORY BUG. DETAILS @ https://github.com/iiab/iiab/issues/669
+    #echo "Install http://download.iiab.io/packages/ansible_2.4.2.0-1ppa~xenial_all.deb"
+    #cd /tmp
+    #wget http://download.iiab.io/packages/ansible_2.4.2.0-1ppa~xenial_all.deb
+    #apt -y --allow-downgrades install ./ansible_2.4.2.0-1ppa~xenial_all.deb
+fi
+
+# needed?
+mkdir -p /etc/ansible/
+echo -e '[local]\nlocalhost\n' > /etc/ansible/hosts