build-aws-stemcell.md

Building AWS BOSH stemcell with BOSH provisioner

!!! Stemcells produced using this method should NOT be used in production !!!

To quickly create BOSH stemcells for AWS:

1. Configure Packer amazon-ebs builder with your AWS account settings.

See Packer's build an image page.

2. Configure BOSH provisioner with following settings:

"provisioners": [{
  "type": "packer-bosh",

  "assets_dir": "/your-go-dir/src/github.com/cppforlife/packer-bosh/bosh-provisioner/assets",

  "full_stemcell_compatibility": true,

  "agent_infrastructure": "aws",
  "agent_platform": "ubuntu",
  "agent_configuration": {},

  "ssh_password": "ubuntu"
}]

3. Remove cloud-init package included by default in Ubuntu AMIs to avoid conflicts with BOSH Agent auto configuration:

"provisioners": [
  ...

  { "type": "shell", "inline": "apt-get -y purge --auto-remove cloud-init" },
  { "type": "shell", "inline": "echo 'LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs /  ext4 defaults  0 0' > /etc/fstab" }
]

4. packer build

5. After a successful build, Packer will output AMI ID at the end of the output. Optionally make AMI public by changing its permissions if stemcell will be used from a different AWS account.

6. Unpack one of the officially published light-bosh stemcells and update stemcell.MF with new AMI reference, then repack.

7. Upload your new light stemcell to a BOSH Director and use it in your deployment.