Getting started with Packer

Packer enables you to create VM disk images with parameters specified in a configuration file. This guide describes how to create a disk image in Yandex Compute Cloud using Packer.

In this scenario, Packer will create and launch a virtual machine with Debian 11 from Cloud Marketplace and nginx web server. Then, it will delete the VM and create an image of its boot disk. After that, the disk will also be deleted.

To create an image:

1. Prepare your cloud.
2. Install Packer.
3. Prepare the image configuration.
4. Create an image.
5. Check the image.

If you no longer need the image you created, delete it.

Prepare your cloudPrepare your cloud

Sign up for Yandex Cloud and create a billing account:

1. Go to the management console and log in to Yandex Cloud or create an account if you do not have one yet.
2. On the Yandex Cloud Billing page, make sure you have a billing account linked and it has the ACTIVE or TRIAL_ACTIVE status. If you do not have a billing account, create one.

If you have an active billing account, you can go to the cloud page to create or select a folder for your infrastructure to operate in.

Learn more about clouds and folders.

Configure the environment and infrastructureConfigure the environment and infrastructure

1. Install the Yandex Cloud CLI.

   Tip

   If you access the cloud using a federated account and want to use the CLI from within your VM, authenticate with the CLI as a service account.

2. Create a cloud network with a single subnet in your folder.

3. Get an OAuth token for a Yandex account or an IAM token for a federated account.

Required paid resourcesRequired paid resources

The cost of creating a disk image using Packer includes:

• Fee for storing created images (see Yandex Compute Cloud pricing).
• Fee for VM computing resources (see Yandex Compute Cloud pricing).

Install and configure PackerInstall and configure Packer

You can install Packer from a mirror or the HashiCorp website:

From a mirrorFrom a mirror

Install a Packer distribution for your platform from a mirror:

From the HashiCorp websiteFrom the HashiCorp website

Download and install a Packer distribution following the instructions on the official website.

Configure the Yandex Compute Builder pluginConfigure the Yandex Compute Builder plugin

To configure the plugin:

1. Create a file named config.pkr.hcl with the following contents:

   packer {
     required_plugins {
       yandex = {
         version = ">= 1.1.2"
         source  = "github.com/hashicorp/yandex"
       }
     }
   }
   

2. Install the plugin:

   packer init <path_to_config.pkr.hcl>
   

   Result:

   Installed plugin github.com/hashicorp/yandex v1.1.2 in ...
   

Prepare the image configurationPrepare the image configuration

1. Get the folder ID.

2. Get the subnet ID and availability zone it resides in.

3. Prepare the subnet ID by running the yc vpc subnet list command.

4. Create a JSON file with any name, e.g., image.json. Add to it the following configuration:

   {
     "builders": [
       {
         "type":      "yandex",
         "token":     "<OAuth_token_or_IAM_token>",
         "folder_id": "<folder_ID>",
         "zone":      "<availability_zone>",
   
         "image_name":        "debian-11-nginx-{{isotime | clean_resource_name}}",
         "image_family":      "debian-web-server",
         "image_description": "my custom debian with nginx",
   
         "source_image_family": "debian-11",
         "subnet_id":           "<subnet_ID>",
         "use_ipv4_nat":        true,
         "disk_type":           "network-ssd",
         "ssh_username":        "debian"
       }
     ],
     "provisioners": [
       {
         "type": "shell",
         "inline": [
           "echo 'updating APT'",
           "sudo apt-get update -y",
           "sudo apt-get install -y nginx",
           "sudo su -",
           "sudo systemctl enable nginx.service",
           "curl localhost"
         ]
       }
     ]
   }
   

   Where:

   • <availability_zone>: Availability zone to create the VM in. For example: ru-central1-d.
   • token: OAuth token for a Yandex account or an IAM token for a federated account.
   • folder_id: ID of the folder to create a VM and its image in.
   • subnet_id: ID of the subnet to create a VM and its image in.

Learn more about image configuration parameters in the Yandex Compute Builder documentation.

Create an imageCreate an image

1. Build the image using the configuration parameters:

   packer build image.json
   

2. Wait for the build to complete:

   ...
   ==> Wait completed after 2 minutes 43 seconds
   ==> Builds finished. The artifacts of successful builds are:
   --> yandex: A disk image was created: debian-11-nginx-2024-08-26t15-30-39z (id: fd82d63b9bgc********) with family name debian-web-server
   

Check the imageCheck the image

Make sure the image was created:

yc compute image list

+----------------------+--------------------------------------+-------------------+----------------------+--------+
|          ID          |                 NAME                 |      FAMILY       |     PRODUCT IDS      | STATUS |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+-------------------+----------------------+--------+
| fd82d63b9bgc******** | debian-11-nginx-2024-08-26t15-30-39z | debian-web-server | f2eerqfup7lg******** | READY  |
+----------------------+--------------------------------------+-------------------+----------------------+--------+

Delete the resources you createdDelete the resources you created

If you no longer need the created image, delete it.

Delete the subnet and cloud network if these were created specifically to complete the guide.