79 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
79 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
layout: "docs"
|
|
page_title: "Packer Plugins - Extend Packer"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Packer Plugins
|
|
|
|
Plugins allow new functionality to be added to Packer without
|
|
modifying the core source code. Packer plugins are able to add new
|
|
commands, builders, provisioners, hooks, and more. In fact, much of Packer
|
|
itself is implemented by writing plugins that are simply distributed with
|
|
Packer. For example, all the commands, builders, provisioners, and more
|
|
that ship with Packer are implemented as Plugins that are simply hardcoded
|
|
to load with Packer.
|
|
|
|
This page will cover how to install and use plugins. If you're interested
|
|
in developing plugins, the documentation for that is available the
|
|
[developing plugins](/docs/extend/developing-plugins.html) page.
|
|
|
|
Because Packer is so young, there is no official listing of available
|
|
Packer plugins. Plugins are best found via Google. Typically, searching
|
|
"packer plugin _x_" will find what you're looking for if it exists. As
|
|
Packer gets older, an official plugin directory is planned.
|
|
|
|
## How Plugins Work
|
|
|
|
Packer plugins are completely separate, standalone applications that the
|
|
core of Packer starts and communicates with.
|
|
|
|
These plugin applications aren't meant to be run manually. Instead, Packer core executes
|
|
these plugin applications in a certain way and communicates with them.
|
|
For example, the VMware builder is actually a standalone binary named
|
|
`packer-builder-vmware`. The next time you run a Packer build, look at
|
|
your process list and you should see a handful of `packer-` prefixed
|
|
applications running.
|
|
|
|
## Installing Plugins
|
|
|
|
Plugins are installed by modifying the [core Packer configuration](/docs/other/core-configuration.html). Within
|
|
the core configuration, each component has a key/value mapping of the
|
|
plugin name to the actual plugin binary.
|
|
|
|
For example, if we're adding a new builder for CustomCloud, the core
|
|
Packer configuration may look like this:
|
|
|
|
<pre class="prettyprint">
|
|
{
|
|
"builders": {
|
|
"custom-cloud": "packer-builder-custom-cloud"
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
In this case, the "custom-cloud" type is the type that is actually used for the value
|
|
of the "type" configuration key for the builder definition.
|
|
|
|
The value, "packer-builder-custom-cloud", is the path to the plugin binary.
|
|
It can be an absolute or relative path. If it is not an absolute path, then
|
|
the binary is searched for on the PATH. In the example above, Packer will
|
|
search for `packer-builder-custom-cloud` on the PATH.
|
|
|
|
After adding the plugin to the core Packer configuration, it is immediately
|
|
available on the next run of Packer. To uninstall a plugin, just remove it
|
|
from the core Packer configuration.
|
|
|
|
In addition to builders, other types of plugins can be installed. The full
|
|
list is below:
|
|
|
|
* `builders` - A key/value pair of builder type to the builder plugin
|
|
application.
|
|
|
|
* `commands` - A key/value pair of the command name to the command plugin
|
|
application. The command name is what is executed on the command line, like
|
|
`packer COMMAND`.
|
|
|
|
* `provisioners` - A key/value pair of the provisioner type to the
|
|
provisioner plugin application. The provisioner type is the value of the
|
|
"type" configuration used within templates.
|