OS Images

These Packer templates create Ubuntu and CentOS Linux OVA images primarily via the VirtualBox builder. However, the templates are straightforward enough to be used as a based for other work:

Template Name	OS	Packer Builder	Status
ubuntu2004.json	Ubuntu 20.04	VirtualBox	Working
ubuntu1804.json	Ubuntu 18.04	VirtualBox	Working
centos81911.json	CentOS 8.1.1911	VirtualBox	Working
centos72003.json	CentOS 7.8.2003	VirtualBox	Working
centos71911.json	CentOS 7.7.1911	VirtualBox	Working
centos71908.json	CentOS 7.7.1908	VirtualBox	Working
centos71908pvm.json	CentOS 7.7.1908	Parallels	Untested
centos71908ami.json	CentOS 7.7.1908	AWS	Untested

Prerequisites

These templates have been tested on macOS v10.15.4, and some on Windows 10. You need at least the following versions of these applications:

• VirtualBox v6.1.6
• Packer v1.5.6

Getting Started

Validate a specific template, then build the image. For example:

packer validate ubuntu1804.json
packer build ubuntu1804.json

Test the new OVA image with something like the vm utility (hosted here) to test the OVA image:

vm create dev1 output-virtualbox-iso/ubuntu1804.ova
vm start dev1
vm ssh dev1
vm imgimp output-virtualbox-iso/ubuntu1804.ova

Vagrant

Vagrant is another open-source software product for building and maintaining portable virtual software development environments. To use these OS images with Vagrant you can either:

1. Run vagrant package [etc] against a VM created from one of these default OVA images, or

2. Create a new template based on one of these templates, by adding a post-processors stanza, like this:

  "post-processors": [
    {
      "type": "vagrant",
      "keep_input_artifact": true,
      "output": "./centos72003.box",
      "vagrantfile_template": "./Vagrantfile"
    }
  ]

A Vagrantfile is included as example, but you'll need to read more of the Vagrant documentation for further use.

Of course, once you have a working Vagrantfile, you can test with commands such as:

vagrant up
vagrant ssh
vagrant destroy
vagrant box remove ubuntu1804

Parallels

Also included is a Packer template to create a Parallels PVM OS image. Note that this is a still a work in progress.

To play with this further, make sure you install Parallels v14.1.0 or above, and the Parallels Virtualization SDK, as well as the Vagrant provider (if using Vagrant):

brew cask install parallels-virtualization-sdk
vagrant plugin install vagrant-parallels

To build the images:

packer validate centos71908pvm.json   # Confirm template is good
packer build centos71908pvm.json      # Build CentOS 7 1908 Parallels PVM machine

Amazon

Also a Packer template to create an Amazon AMIs.

Tested from macOS v10.14.2, but should work on any Linux OS.

• On target AWS account, create a packer IAM user, and attach below PackerBuilder policy.

  {
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
      {
        "Sid": "PackerBuilder",
        "Effect": "Allow",
        "Action": [
          "ec2:AttachVolume",
          "ec2:AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress",
          "ec2:CopyImage",
          "ec2:CopyImage",
          "ec2:CreateImage",
          "ec2:CreateKeypair",
          "ec2:CreateSecurityGroup",
          "ec2:CreateSnapshot",
          "ec2:CreateTags",
          "ec2:CreateVolume",
          "ec2:DeleteKeypair",
          "ec2:DeleteSecurityGroup",
          "ec2:DeleteSnapshot",
          "ec2:DeleteVolume",
          "ec2:DeregisterImage",
          "ec2:DescribeImageAttribute",
          "ec2:DescribeImages",
          "ec2:DescribeInstances",
          "ec2:DescribeRegions",
          "ec2:DescribeSecurityGroups",
          "ec2:DescribeSnapshots",
          "ec2:DescribeSubnets",
          "ec2:DescribeTags",
          "ec2:DescribeVolumes",
          "ec2:DetachVolume",
          "ec2:GetPasswordData",
          "ec2:ModifyImageAttribute",
          "ec2:ModifyInstanceAttribute",
          "ec2:ModifySnapshotAttribute",
          "ec2:RegisterImage",
          "ec2:RunInstances",
          "ec2:StopInstances",
          "ec2:TerminateInstances"
        ],
        "Resource": "*"
      }
    ]
  }
  

• Logon to target AWS account via CLI using above packer user.

• Ensure aws_source_ami is the CentOS 7 image base you need.

• Ensure aws_security_group_ids are valid EC2 Security Group IDs in your target AWS account

• STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION ... there are more parameters

Build image by doing the usual:

packer validate centos71908ami.json  # First, confirm template is good
packer build centos71908ami.json     # Build CentOS 7 AMI