Learn PACKER with Real Code Examples

Build an AWS AMI with pre-installed Nginx

Create a Docker image for application deployment

Build a GCP image with monitoring agents

Automate VM image builds for CI/CD pipelines

Produce immutable images for hybrid cloud environments

Validate templates with `packer validate`

Inspect detailed logs with `PACKER_LOG=1 packer build`

Check builder authentication credentials

Ensure provisioner scripts execute correctly

Debug artifacts using VM or container runtime

Validate templates syntax with `packer validate`

Test provisioners independently

Use temporary builds to test artifact output

Verify image on target platform before production

Automate testing in CI/CD pipelines

Manual local builds with Packer CLI

Automated builds in CI/CD pipelines

Cloud-init integration for VM images

Docker image builds for containerized apps

Multi-platform, multi-cloud artifact publishing

Packer CLI

HashiCorp Vault for secret management

Terraform for infrastructure deployment

Provisioners: Ansible, Chef, Puppet, Shell

Post-processors for artifact handling

AWS, Azure, GCP, VMware, Docker

CI/CD pipelines: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI

Configuration management: Ansible, Chef, Puppet

Monitoring and compliance pipelines

Immutable infrastructure automation

Reuse provisioner scripts across templates

Parameterize templates with variables

Cache base images

Automate builds via CI/CD

Use HCL2 templates for clarity and modularity

Debugging failed builds

Handling multi-platform differences

Complex provisioning scripts

Managing secrets securely

Ensuring repeatable artifact builds