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Packer

Introduction

This repository contains packer builds for multiple operating systems using the vSphere-ISO builder. These are my updated configurations using HCL rather than JSON following the release of Packer 1.7.

There are individual builds which are referenced from my blog series Link and use some older techniques. These are located in the OS specific folders.

The vm-templates folder contains a combined configuration that uses some newer techniques with multiple improvements, as well as better reuse of the code, making it easier to maintain. It currently has a template configuration for Windows Server 2022 (Core & Desktop), Photon and RHEL.

Available Builds

  • Windows Server 2022 | Standard & Datacenter | Core & Desktop (Improved configurations)
  • Windows Server 2019 | Standard & Datacenter | Core & Desktop (Legacy and improved configurations)
  • Centos 7 (Legacy configurations)
  • Centos 8 (Legacy configurations)
  • Ubuntu (Legacy configurations)

My latest build are in a seperate repository azure-pipeline-packer-templates

Files

  • variables.pkr.hcl - Variable declaration file
  • 'OS-Name'.pkr.hcl - Build file in each OS specific configuration
  • build.pkr.hcl - Combined build file in new configuration
  • 'OS-Name'.pkrvar.hcl - User Defined variables file
  • packer-build-menu.ps1 - Interactive PowerShell menu to build your templates from the combined build.
  • get-application-media.ps1 - Used to create a ZIP file of install media to then be intalled via the package-installations.ps1` script during the build.

Change Log

06/05/2022

  • Updated readme's and links to new repository which will hold future updates.

08/01/2022

  • Added an improved combined build (vm-templates).
  • Windows Server Core and Deskop Expirence template builds added (via combined vm-templates configuration).
  • vm-templates - now loads PVSCSI Drivers via the mounted VMTools media for Windows Builds.
  • vm-templates - Reduced repeat files and code.
  • vm-templates - Improved and more consistent script files in configuration.