packer

Packer

This project contains two main directories:

1. image-factory-vm
2. user-packer

Both directories are used to build VM images with Packer and store them in the Azure Shared Image Gallery. However, they are used in different contexts.

Image Factory VM

This directory includes Packer scripts to build the Image Factory VM, which hosts a GitHub Actions runner.

VM Configuration Script

The Image Factory VM is configured using a shell script that performs the following tasks:

• Sets the DEBIAN_FRONTEND to noninteractive to avoid user prompts during the package installation process.
• Updates and upgrades the system packages.
• Installs necessary packages such as apt-transport-https, buildah, ca-certificates, curl, git, gnupg, jq, libcap2-bin, lsb-release, podman, slirp4netns, software-properties-common, unzip, vim, and wget.
• Performs a clean-up of the package lists.
• Installs the Azure CLI.

Triggering an Image Rebuild

To trigger a rebuild of the Image Factory VM, execute the following GitHub Actions Workflow: .github/workflows/packer-build-if-vm.yml

User Packer Template

The user-packer directory contains Packer scripts to build user VM images. These images are produced by the Image Factory VM. These scripts come into play whenever a user calls the reusable workflow: .github/workflows/packer-build-if-vm.yml

By following these guidelines, you can efficiently build and deploy VM images using Packer and GitHub Actions.