This is a Hashicorp Packer script to create a Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Desktop or Core template VM on the Proxmox hypervisor. The template includes the latest Microsoft Windows Updates, virtio drivers and the Cloudbase client software.
- Automates Windows Server 2022 setup and configuration.
- Seamlessly integrates Windows Updates for enhanced security.
- Facilitates CloudBase initialization for cloud environments.
- Enables scalability and standardization in VM template deployment on Proxmox.
- Packer: You need Packer installed on your local system where you plan to execute the script. You can download Packer from the official website (https://www.packer.io/downloads).
- Proxmox: You should have access to a Proxmox virtualization platform. Ensure you have the necessary permissions and credentials to create VM templates on Proxmox.
- Windows Server 2022 ISO: You'll need a copy of the Windows Server 2022 ISO file. Make sure it's accessible and located at the path specified in the script (var.windows_iso).
- Make sure the additional ISO files, such as drivers and scripts, are available at the specified locations (cd_files).
The packer scripts uses the cd_files command and needs one of the following tools to create an ISO.
- xorriso
- mkisofs
- hdiutil (normally found in macOS)
- oscdimg (normally found in Windows as part of the Windows ADK)
Working with cloud-init and Windows is challenging. Windows doesn't accept an encrypted password. This can be fixed with a patch. More info can be found on on the following git repository: Geco-IT. The Promox forum has a thread about Cloudbase and Windows VM's and how to make it work: Proxmox Forum
- Change the variables in the
variables.auto.pkrvars.hclfile and adjust te variables to your needs. - Run
packer init .to initialize packer and install the defined plugins. - Run
packer build .to create a Windows Server 2022 Desktop edition template or runpacker build -var template=core .to create a Windows Server 2022 Core edition template.