---
description: |
    The `packer build` Packer command takes a template and runs all the builds
    within it in order to generate a set of artifacts. The various builds specified
    within a template are executed in parallel, unless otherwise specified. And the
    artifacts that are created will be outputted at the end of the build.
layout: docs
page_title: 'Build - Command-Line'
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# Command-Line: Build

The `packer build` Packer command takes a template and runs all the builds
within it in order to generate a set of artifacts. The various builds specified
within a template are executed in parallel, unless otherwise specified. And the
artifacts that are created will be outputted at the end of the build.

## Options

-   `-color=false` - Disables colorized output. Enabled by default.

-   `-debug` - Disables parallelization and enables debug mode. Debug mode flags
    the builders that they should output debugging information. The exact
    behavior of debug mode is left to the builder. In general, builders usually
    will stop between each step, waiting for keyboard input before continuing.
    This will allow the user to inspect state and so on.

-   `-except=foo,bar,baz` - Builds all the builds except those with the given
    comma-separated names. Build names by default are the names of their
    builders, unless a specific `name` attribute is specified within
    the configuration.

-   `-force` - Forces a builder to run when artifacts from a previous build
    prevent a build from running. The exact behavior of a forced build is left
    to the builder. In general, a builder supporting the forced build will
    remove the artifacts from the previous build. This will allow the user to
    repeat a build without having to manually clean these artifacts beforehand.

-   `-on-error=cleanup` (default), `-on-error=abort`, `-on-error=ask` - Selects
    what to do when the build fails.  `cleanup` cleans up after the previous
    steps, deleting temporary files and virtual machines.  `abort` exits without
    any cleanup, which might require the next build to use `-force`.  `ask`
    presents a prompt and waits for you to decide to clean up, abort, or retry
    the failed step.

-   `-only=foo,bar,baz` - Only build the builds with the given
    comma-separated names. Build names by default are the names of their
    builders, unless a specific `name` attribute is specified within
    the configuration.

-   `-parallel=false` - Disable parallelization of multiple builders (on by
    default).
