packer_config.txt

#### Packer

packer {
  required_version = "~> 1.7.6"

  required_plugins {
    vsphere = {
      version = "~> 1.0.1"
      source = "github.com/hashicorp/vsphere"
      # Guthub plugin repo https://github.com/hashicorp/packer-plugin-vsphere
    }

    windows-update = {
      version = "~> 0.14.0"
      source = "github.com/rgl/windows-update"
      # Github plugin Repo https://github.com/rgl/packer-plugin-windows-update
    }
  }
}

#### Build 

build {
  sources = ["source.vsphere-iso.linux_alma"]

  provisioner "shell" {
    execute_command = "echo '${var.os_password_linux}' | {{.Vars}} sudo -S -E sh -eux '{{.Path}}'" # Deals with password prompts if not root.
    
    scripts = [
        "scripts/linux/ncpa.sh",
        "scripts/linux/cockpit.sh",
        "scripts/linux/yum_update.sh",
        "scripts/linux/cleanup.sh",
        "scripts/linux/banner.sh"
    ]
  }
}

#### Source 

source "vsphere-iso" "linux_alma" {
  insecure_connection     = true

  username                = var.vcenter_username
  password                = var.vcenter_password

  vcenter_server          = var.vcenter_server
  cluster                 = var.vcenter_cluster
  datacenter              = var.vcenter_datacenter
  host                    = var.vcenter_host
  datastore               = var.vcenter_datastore
  folder                  = var.vm_folder
  vm_name                 = var.vm_name
  
  firmware                = var.vm_firmware
  vm_version              = var.vm_hardware_version
  guest_os_type           = var.guest_os_type
  CPUs                    = var.cpu_num
  CPU_hot_plug            = true
  RAM                     = var.ram
  RAM_hot_plug            = true
  RAM_reserve_all         = false
  cdrom_type              = "sata"
  boot_wait               = "10s"
  boot_order              = "disk,cdrom"
  notes                   = "Packer built on ${formatdate ("YYYY-MMM-DD 'at' hh:mm ZZZ", timestamp())}.\n Access Cockpit on port 9090 and NCPA on port 5693.\n Use >>> nmtui <<< if you want to set hostname, static address etc. in an easier fashion.\n Root password can be found in Gitlab CI/CD variables."
  
  ssh_username            = var.os_username
  ssh_password            = var.os_password_linux
  ip_wait_timeout         = "30m"
  ip_settle_timeout       = "15s"
  ssh_timeout             = "15m"
  pause_before_connecting = "1m"

  convert_to_template     = true
  content_library_destination {
    library = var.content_library_destination
    name    = var.vm_name
    ovf     = true
    #destroy = true
  }

  http_directory = "scripts/linux" # Directory to serve on HTTP 
  boot_command   = [
    "<up>",
    "e",
    "<down><down><end>",
    " inst.ks=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/ks.cfg",
    "<enter><wait><leftCtrlOn>x<leftCtrlOff>"
  ]

  network_adapters {
      network      = var.vm_network
      network_card = var.network_card
  }

  disk_controller_type  = [ "pvscsi" ]
  storage {
      disk_thin_provisioned = true
      disk_size             = var.disk_size
  }

  iso_paths = [
    var.os_iso_path
  ]
}

#### Variables

variable "vcenter_username" {
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vcenter_password" {
    type        = string
    default     = null
    sensitive   = true
}

variable "os_username" {
    type        = string   
    description = "Local OS Username for WinRM or SSH etc., set in the pkvars"
    default     = null
}

variable "os_password_linux" {
    description = "Local root password for login, WinRM or SSH etc."
    type        = string
    default     = null
    sensitive   = true
}

variable "vcenter_server" {
    description = "vCenter server to connect."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vcenter_cluster" {
    description = "Which cluster to select from the vCenter."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vcenter_datacenter" {
    description = "Which datacentre to select from the vCenter cluster."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vcenter_host" {
    description = "Which ESXi host to select from the vCenter datacentre."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vcenter_datastore" {
    description = "Which datastore to select from the ESXI host."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vm_network" {
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "vm_folder" {
    description = "The vCenter folder to store the template."
    default     = null
}

variable "vm_name" {
    description = "The name of the virtual machine in vCenter."
    default     = null
}

variable "cpu_num" {
    type        = number
    default     = 2
}

variable "ram" {
    type        = number
    default     = 4096
}

variable "disk_size" {
    type        = number
    default     = 40960
}

variable "vm_hardware_version" {
    description = "Packer defaults to 9."
    default     = null
}

variable "vm_firmware"{
    description = "Packer defaults to BIOS."
    type        = string
    default     = "efi"
}

variable "guest_os_type" {
    description = "Packer defaults to guest OS type of other."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "network_card" {
    description = "Packer defaults to adater type of e1000."
    type        = string
    default     = "vmxnet3"
}

variable "content_library_destination" {
  type          = string
  default       = null
}

variable "content_library_template_name" {
  type          = string
  default       = null
}

variable "auto_unattend" {
    description = "The autounattend file used for automated OS isntalltion. For Windows this will be autounattend.xml and for Linux ks.cfg." 
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

variable "os_iso_path" {
    description = "ISO path for OS unattendeded installs."
    default     = null
}

variable "vmtools_iso_path" {
    description = "ISO Path for VMware Tools Windows exe. Used for drivers, performance etc."
    type        = string
    default     = null
}

#### kickstart.cfg

# Install new system using the first optical drive 
cdrom 

# Perform kickstart install in text mode (optional) (graphical by default)
text 

# Accept EULA without user interaction (optional)
eula --agreed

# Set language to use during installation and the default language to use on the installed system (required)
lang en_GB.UTF-8

# Set system keyboard type or layout (required)
keyboard --xlayouts='gb'

# Configure network information for target system and activate network devices in the installer environment (optional)
# --device	        device to be activated and or configured with the network command
# --onboot          enable device at a boot time.
# --bootproto       method to obtain networking configuration for device (default dhcp).
# --activate        activate this device in the installation environment.
# --noipv6	        disable IPv6 on this device.
# --hostname        host name for the installed system.
# Static IP configuration example:
network  --bootproto=dhcp --noipv6

# Root password (required)
# One way encrypted hash
rootpw --plaintext bahBahNah

# Configure firewall settings for the system (optional)
# firewall --enabled --ssh
# --enabled         reject incoming connections that are not in response to outbound requests.
# --ssh		        allow sshd service through the firewall.
# --disabled        do not configure any iptables rules.
#firewall --disabled

# Set the system time zone (required)
timezone Europe/London --isUtc

# Ignore other disks and only use first drive. Without this can break kickstart if muliple disks are detected. 
ignoredisk --only-use=sda

# Create partitions automatically, the automatically created partitions are:
# a root (/) partition (1 GB or larger)
# a swap partition
# an appropriate /boot partition for the architecture
# On large enough drives (50 GB and larger), this also creates a /home partition
autopart

# Initialize the first drive (optional)
# --all             erases all partitions from the system.
# --initlabel       initializes a disk (or disks) by creating a default disk label for all disks in their respective architecture that have been designated for formatting
clearpart --drives=sda --initlabel --drives=sda

%addon com_redhat_kdump --enable --reserve-mb='auto'
%end

# Reboot after the installation is complete (optional)
# --eject	    attempt to eject CD or DVD media before rebooting
reboot --eject

# Install packages.
%packages --ignoremissing 
#@^minimal-environment
@core --nodefaults
kexec-tools
perl
open-vm-tools
bind-utils
unzip
curl
nano
net-tools
traceroute
wget
net-snmp
cockpit
NetworkManager-tui
chrony
expect
%end 

# Post-install commands.
%post
sudo yum upgrade -y
%end