packer-images

Ubuntu and Windows Packer images for Hyper-V builder

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 Pro/Server with enabled Hyper-V
• Packer

Ubuntu

ubuntu-base

• creates base image from ubuntu server .iso
• uses packer Hyper-V ISO builder
  • creates Generation 2 Images
• boots to installer using preseed config
• username and password is setup in the boot command passing ssh_username and ssh_password packer template variables
  • you can provide either interactively or using environment variables when calling the build script .\ubuntu\Build.ps1
• use as baseline for other images.
• based on: https://github.com/boxcutter/ubuntu
  • made sure the template creates Geneneration 2 VM
  • made sure the template does not contantain hard-coded username, password and other sensitive environment variables
  • generate the answer ISO automatically on build

ubuntu-server

• creates ubuntu server image from ubuntu-base image
• adds the Host SSD Public key to the image so you can ssh without password
• adds ssh_username to the sudoers so you can sudo without password

ubuntu-desktop

Creates ubuntu desktop image from ubuntu-base image.

customize

• vmcx images that can be used on top of ubuntu-server. You can also use vmcx images on top of other vmcx images - see .\ubuntu\customize\ExampleBuilds\BuildGithubAgentDocker.ps1
• images include
  • docker
  • github agent
  • k3s
  • microk8s
  • ansible

Example base, server and desktop Builds

1. run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\ubuntu\ExampleBuilds\
   

3. run an example build e.g.

   BuildUbuntuBase.ps1
   

Example customize Builds

1. run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\ubuntu\customize\ExampleBuilds\
   

3. run an example build e.g.

   BuildUbuntuDocker.ps1
   

Import ubuntu Images to Hyper-V

1. Run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\ubuntu
   

3. Run ImportVM.ps1 providing TemplateName that matches one from .\ubuntu\ImagesOutput\. Optionally provide VM name e.g:

   ImportVM.ps1 -TemplateName ubuntu-server -VmName my-test-server
   

Windows

Windows base

• base images for Windows
  • 10
  • Server 2016
  • Serer 2019
• start from .ISOs
• create Generation 2 Images
  • floppy disks are not avialable there so we are forced to create Answer ISO instead that is used for the unattended install
  • to do this is used mkisofts.exe
    • the generated ISO is passed to the packer image via secondary_iso_images
  • the main script that generates the iso is .\windows\base\baseAnswerIso\GenerateBaseAnswerIso.ps1
    • it generates Autounattend.xml populating the image username, password and other environment specific variables passed to GenerateBaseAnswerIso.ps1
    • copies the helper files used in Autounattend.xml durring the unattended windows install
• based on: https://github.com/StefanScherer/packer-windows
  • made sure the templates create Geneneration 2 VMs
  • made sure templates do not contantain hard-coded username, password and other sensitive environment variables
  • generate the answer ISO automatically on build

Windows base - Example builds

1. run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\windows\base\ExampleBuilds\
   

3. run an example build e.g.

   BuildWin2019Core.ps1
   

Windows customize

• example vmcx customization image that installs IIS
• depends on AnswerIso to provide SysprepUnattend.xml to generalize the image
  • see .\windows\answerIso\GenerateSysprepAnswerIso.ps1

Windows customize - Example Build

1. run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\windows\customize\
   

3. run an example build e.g.

   ExampleBuildIis.ps1
   

Import Windows Images to Hyper-V

1. Run powershell as local admin

2. cd .\windows
   

3. Run ImportVM.ps1 providing TemplateName that matches one from .\windows\ImagesOutput\. Optionally provide VM name e.g:

   ImportVM.ps1 -TemplateName win2019-base -VmName my-win2019