Packer images built with qemu

This repository contains configurations for building archlinux and debian from installation media provided from the distributions.

Requirements

• docker
  • if building without a docker container see the dockerfile
• X86_virtualization
• kvm bound on /dev/kvm

Build the docker image for the required dependencies to build the images via packer

$ bash main.sh docker

Building images

The images can be pulled from the named docker volume

The terminal image is only supported for debian and allows live booting over pxe. This requires serving exported files by packer(the kernel, initrd and squashfs) over http and setting the kernel parameters boot=live fetch=<http url to squashfs>

Building debian images

Export the required environment variable

$ export PKR_VAR_distribution=debian-12.5.0-amd64

Build the debian base image.

$ packer build -var-file base/debian/vars/common.json -var-file base/debian/vars/${PKR_VAR_distribution}.json base/debian/
#
# or build inside docker
$ bash main.sh debian base

Build cloud image based on the new base image

$ packer build cloud
#
# or build inside docker
$ bash main.sh debian cloud

Build an image for kitchen based on the new base image

$ packer build kitchen
#
# or build inside docker
$ bash main.sh debian kitchen

Build salt image based on the cloud image

$ packer build -var parent_image_type=cloud salt
#
# or build inside docker
$ bash main.sh debian salt cloud

Building archlinux images

Export the required environment variable

$ export PKR_VAR_distribution=archlinux-x86-64

Build the archlinux base image

$ packer build -var-file base/archlinux/vars/common.json -var-file base/archlinux/vars/${PKR_VAR_distribution}.json base/archlinux/
# or
$ bash main.sh archlinux base

Repeat the same steps as with debian

Build cloud image based on the new base image

$ packer build cloud
# or
$ bash main.sh archlinux cloud

Building uefi images

When using the wrapper without setting any environment variables it will use the OVMF from the docker image

$ bash main.sh --uefi debian base

Export the required efi environment variables if you want to build without packer or want to provide your own OVMF which will be mounted into the docker container

$ export PKR_VAR_efi_firmware_code=<path to OVMF_CODE> PKR_VAR_efi_firmware_vars=<path to OVMF_VARS>
$ packer build ...

Get built images

List available images

$ bash main.sh list

Pull image from volume

$ bash main.sh cat '<absolute filename>' | tar -xf - -C <output path>

Further options

See common variables which can be set and given as arguments to either the packer -var ... command or to bash main.sh <archlinux|debian> <build_type> -var ...

Notes

• make sure to disable or remove the packer user for ssh login with sudo permissions 'provision:provision'(user:password)
• the user provision expires after 35 days - you will need to rebuild a dependant base image if used for building other images by packer