About Packer
Packer is a command line tool for building machine images. You write one source template, and Packer creates matching images for several cloud and virtualization platforms.
What it does
Packer starts a temporary machine, installs and configures software on it, and saves the result as an image. The same template can produce images for AWS, Docker and other targets. Teams use this to create golden images that already contain their base software, so new servers and containers start from a consistent starting point.
Key features
- One template for many platforms
- Builds golden images for image pipelines
- Works with Terraform to deploy the images
- HCP Packer manages images across an organization
- Builds Docker images
Who it's for
Operations and cloud teams that want repeatable base images for servers, containers or virtual machines, and a clear record of what each image contains.
Pricing and good to know
Packer can be downloaded from HashiCorp's developer site and used from the command line. HCP Packer is a separate hosted service that offers a free trial. The documentation includes hands-on tutorials that walk through building images step by step.
Highlights
- Build one image for several platforms from one template
- Create golden images for image pipelines
- Pass built images to Terraform deployments
- Track image versions with HCP Packer
- Build Docker images from a template
