---
layout: "intro"
page_title: "Vagrant Boxes"
prev_url: "/intro/getting-started/parallel-builds.html"
next_url: "/intro/getting-started/next.html"
next_title: "Next Steps"
---

# Vagrant Boxes

Packer also has the ability to take the results of a builder (such as
an AMI or plain VMware image) and turn it into a [Vagrant](http://www.vagrantup.com)
box.

This is done using [post-processors](/docs/templates/post-processors.html).
These take an artifact created by a previous builder or post-processor and
transforms it into a new one. In the case of the Vagrant post-processor, it
takes an artifact from a builder and transforms it into a Vagrant box file.

Post-processors are a generally very useful concept. While the example on
this getting-started page will be creating Vagrant images, post-processors
have many interesting use cases. For example, you can write a post-processor
to compress artifacts, upload them, test them, etc.

Let's modify our template to use the Vagrant post-processor to turn our
AWS AMI into a Vagrant box usable with the [vagrant-aws plugin](https://github.com/mitchellh/vagrant-aws). If you followed along in the previous page and setup DigitalOcean,
Packer can't currently make Vagrant boxes for DigitalOcean, but will be able
to soon.

## Enabling the Post-Processor

Post-processors are added in the `post-processors` section of a template, which
we haven't created yet. Modify your `example.json` template and add the section.
Your template should look like the following:

<pre class="prettyprint">
{
  "builders": [...],

  "provisioners": [...],

  "post-processors": ["vagrant"]
}
</pre>

In this case, we're enabling a single post-processor named "vagrant". This
post-processor is built-in to Packer and will create Vagrant boxes. You
can always create [new post-processors](/docs/extend/post-processor.html), however.
The details on configuring post-processors is covered in the
[post-processors](/docs/templates/post-processors.html) documentation.

Validate the configuration using `packer validate`.

## Using the Post-Processor

Just run a normal `packer build` and it will now use the post-processor.
Since Packer can't currently make a Vagrant box for DigitalOcean anyways,
I recommend passing the `-only=amazon-ebs` flag to `packer build` so it only
builds the AMI. The command should look like the following:

```
$ packer build -only=amazon-ebs example.json
```

As you watch the output, you'll notice at the end in the artifact listing
that a Vagrant box was made (by default at `packer_aws.box` in the current
directory). Success!

But where did the AMI go? When using post-processors, Vagrant removes
intermediary artifacts since they're usually not wanted. Only the final
artifact is preserved. This behavior can be changed, of course. Changing
this behavior is covered [in the documentation](/docs/templates/post-processors.html).

Typically when removing intermediary artifacts, the actual underlying
files or resources of the artifact are also removed. For example, when
building a VMware image, if you turn it into a Vagrant box, the files of
the VMware image will be deleted since they were compressed into the Vagrant
box. With creating AWS images, however, the AMI is kept around, since Vagrant
needs it to function.