Packer

HashiCorp Packer for building automated machine images. Create identical images for multiple platforms from a single config.

45 commands

Browse by Topic

Getting Started

Quick setup and installation

3commands

Building

Build images

13commands

Validation

Validate templates

5commands

Initialization

Initialize plugins

5commands

Inspection

Inspect templates

7commands

HCL2 Templates

HCL2 syntax

12commands

Install Packer (macOS)

$ brew install packer

Install HashiCorp Packer using Homebrew on macOS

Check Packer version

$ packer --version

Verify Packer is installed and display the current version

Initialize Packer template

$ packer init .

Initialize a Packer template and download required plugins

Build image

$ packer build .

Build image from current directory.

Build specific file

$ packer build template.pkr.hcl

Build from specific template file.

Build with variables

$ packer build -var 'ami_name=myami' -var 'region=us-east-1' .

Build with variable overrides.

Build specific source

$ packer build -only='amazon-ebs.ubuntu' .

Build only specific source.

Build with var file

$ packer build -var-file=prod.pkrvars.hcl .

Build using variables file.

Debug build

$ packer build -debug .

Build with step-by-step confirmation.

Force build

$ packer build -force .

Force build even if artifacts exist.

Build with timestamp UI

$ packer build -timestamp-ui .

Show timestamps on each output line.

Exclude source

$ packer build -except='docker.local' .

Build all sources except the specified one.

On error ask

$ packer build -on-error=ask .

Prompt for action on build error.

On error abort

$ packer build -on-error=abort .

Abort and clean up on build error.

Parallel builds limit

$ packer build -parallel-builds=2 .

Limit number of parallel builds.

No color output

$ packer build -color=false .

Build without colored output for CI logs.

Validate template

$ packer validate .

Validate Packer template syntax.

Validate with vars

$ packer validate -var 'region=us-west-2' .

Validate with variable values.

Syntax only check

$ packer validate -syntax-only .

Check syntax without validating config.

Validate with var file

$ packer validate -var-file=staging.pkrvars.hcl .

Validate using an external variables file.

Evaluate datasources

$ packer validate -evaluate-datasources .

Validate and evaluate data source blocks.

Initialize plugins

$ packer init .

Download required plugins.

Upgrade plugins

$ packer init -upgrade .

Upgrade plugins to latest versions.

Install specific plugin

$ packer plugins install github.com/hashicorp/amazon

Install a specific plugin from the registry.

List installed plugins

$ packer plugins installed

List all installed Packer plugins.

Remove plugin

$ packer plugins remove github.com/hashicorp/docker

Remove an installed plugin.

Inspect template

$ packer inspect .

Show template variables and sources.

Format templates

$ packer fmt .

Format HCL templates.

Check formatting

$ packer fmt -check .

Check if templates are formatted.

Interactive console

$ packer console .

Open interactive console for testing.

Format with diff

$ packer fmt -diff .

Format and show diff of changes made.

Format recursively

$ packer fmt -recursive .

Format templates in all subdirectories.

Show version

$ packer version

Display installed Packer version.

Basic source block

$ source "amazon-ebs" "ubuntu" { ami_name = "my-ami" instance_type = "t2.micro" region = "us-east-1" source_ami_filter { filters = { name = "ubuntu/images/*" } owners = ["099720109477"] most_recent = true } ssh_username = "ubuntu" }

HCL2 source block example.

Build block

$ build { sources = ["source.amazon-ebs.ubuntu"] provisioner "shell" { inline = ["sudo apt-get update"] } }

HCL2 build block example.

Variable definition

$ variable "region" { type = string default = "us-east-1" }

HCL2 variable definition.

Locals block

$ locals { timestamp = regex_replace(timestamp(), "[- TZ:]", "") ami_name = "app-${local.timestamp}" }

Define local values for reuse in templates.

Data source

$ data "amazon-ami" "base" { filters = { name = "ubuntu/images/hvm-ssd/ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*" } owners = ["099720109477"] most_recent = true }

HCL2 data source to look up AMIs.

File provisioner

$ provisioner "file" { source = "config/app.conf" destination = "/tmp/app.conf" }

Upload files to the build instance.

Shell provisioner

$ provisioner "shell" { scripts = [ "scripts/setup.sh", "scripts/install-deps.sh" ] environment_vars = [ "APP_ENV=production" ] }

Run multiple shell scripts as provisioner.

Ansible provisioner

$ provisioner "ansible" { playbook_file = "ansible/playbook.yml" extra_arguments = [ "--extra-vars", "env=production" ] }

Run Ansible playbook as provisioner.

Post-processor manifest

$ post-processor "manifest" { output = "manifest.json" strip_path = true }

Generate build manifest with artifact IDs.

Docker source block

$ source "docker" "ubuntu" { image = "ubuntu:22.04" commit = true changes = [ "ENTRYPOINT ["/app/start.sh"]" ] }

HCL2 Docker source for container images.

Required plugins block

$ packer { required_plugins { amazon = { version = ">= 1.2.0" source = "github.com/hashicorp/amazon" } } }

Declare required plugins with version constraints.

PowerShell provisioner

$ provisioner "powershell" { inline = [ "Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server", "Set-Service -Name W3SVC -StartupType Automatic" ] }

Run PowerShell commands on Windows builds.

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Packer

HashiCorp Packer for building automated machine images. Create identical images for multiple platforms from a single config.

45 commands

Browse by Topic

Getting Started

Quick setup and installation

3commands

Building

Build images

13commands

Validation

Validate templates

5commands

Initialization

Initialize plugins

5commands

Inspection

Inspect templates

7commands

HCL2 Templates

HCL2 syntax

12commands

Install Packer (macOS)

$ brew install packer

Install HashiCorp Packer using Homebrew on macOS

Check Packer version

$ packer --version

Verify Packer is installed and display the current version

Initialize Packer template

$ packer init .

Initialize a Packer template and download required plugins

Build image

$ packer build .

Build image from current directory.

Build specific file

$ packer build template.pkr.hcl

Build from specific template file.

Build with variables

$ packer build -var 'ami_name=myami' -var 'region=us-east-1' .

Build with variable overrides.

Build specific source

$ packer build -only='amazon-ebs.ubuntu' .

Build only specific source.

Build with var file

$ packer build -var-file=prod.pkrvars.hcl .

Build using variables file.

Debug build

$ packer build -debug .

Build with step-by-step confirmation.

Force build

$ packer build -force .

Force build even if artifacts exist.

Build with timestamp UI

$ packer build -timestamp-ui .

Show timestamps on each output line.

Exclude source

$ packer build -except='docker.local' .

Build all sources except the specified one.

On error ask

$ packer build -on-error=ask .

Prompt for action on build error.

On error abort

$ packer build -on-error=abort .

Abort and clean up on build error.

Parallel builds limit

$ packer build -parallel-builds=2 .

Limit number of parallel builds.

No color output

$ packer build -color=false .

Build without colored output for CI logs.

Validate template

$ packer validate .

Validate Packer template syntax.

Validate with vars

$ packer validate -var 'region=us-west-2' .

Validate with variable values.

Syntax only check

$ packer validate -syntax-only .

Check syntax without validating config.

Validate with var file

$ packer validate -var-file=staging.pkrvars.hcl .

Validate using an external variables file.

Evaluate datasources

$ packer validate -evaluate-datasources .

Validate and evaluate data source blocks.

Initialize plugins

$ packer init .

Download required plugins.

Upgrade plugins

$ packer init -upgrade .

Upgrade plugins to latest versions.

Install specific plugin

$ packer plugins install github.com/hashicorp/amazon

Install a specific plugin from the registry.

List installed plugins

$ packer plugins installed

List all installed Packer plugins.

Remove plugin

$ packer plugins remove github.com/hashicorp/docker

Remove an installed plugin.

Inspect template

$ packer inspect .

Show template variables and sources.

Format templates

$ packer fmt .

Format HCL templates.

Check formatting

$ packer fmt -check .

Check if templates are formatted.

Interactive console

$ packer console .

Open interactive console for testing.

Format with diff

$ packer fmt -diff .

Format and show diff of changes made.

Format recursively

$ packer fmt -recursive .

Format templates in all subdirectories.

Show version

$ packer version

Display installed Packer version.

Basic source block

HCL2 source block example.

Build block

$ build { sources = ["source.amazon-ebs.ubuntu"] provisioner "shell" { inline = ["sudo apt-get update"] } }

HCL2 build block example.

Variable definition

$ variable "region" { type = string default = "us-east-1" }

HCL2 variable definition.

Locals block

$ locals { timestamp = regex_replace(timestamp(), "[- TZ:]", "") ami_name = "app-${local.timestamp}" }

Define local values for reuse in templates.

Data source

$ data "amazon-ami" "base" { filters = { name = "ubuntu/images/hvm-ssd/ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*" } owners = ["099720109477"] most_recent = true }

HCL2 data source to look up AMIs.

File provisioner

$ provisioner "file" { source = "config/app.conf" destination = "/tmp/app.conf" }

Upload files to the build instance.

Shell provisioner

$ provisioner "shell" { scripts = [ "scripts/setup.sh", "scripts/install-deps.sh" ] environment_vars = [ "APP_ENV=production" ] }

Run multiple shell scripts as provisioner.

Ansible provisioner

$ provisioner "ansible" { playbook_file = "ansible/playbook.yml" extra_arguments = [ "--extra-vars", "env=production" ] }

Run Ansible playbook as provisioner.

Post-processor manifest

$ post-processor "manifest" { output = "manifest.json" strip_path = true }

Generate build manifest with artifact IDs.

Docker source block

$ source "docker" "ubuntu" { image = "ubuntu:22.04" commit = true changes = [ "ENTRYPOINT ["/app/start.sh"]" ] }

HCL2 Docker source for container images.

Required plugins block

$ packer { required_plugins { amazon = { version = ">= 1.2.0" source = "github.com/hashicorp/amazon" } } }

Declare required plugins with version constraints.

PowerShell provisioner

$ provisioner "powershell" { inline = [ "Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server", "Set-Service -Name W3SVC -StartupType Automatic" ] }

Run PowerShell commands on Windows builds.

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