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docs VMware Builder from VMX

VMware Builder (from VMX)

Type: vmware-vmx

This VMware builder is able to create VMware virtual machines from an existing VMware virtual machine (a VMX file). It currently supports building virtual machines on hosts running VMware Fusion for OS X, VMware Workstation for Linux and Windows, and VMware Player on Linux.

The builder builds a virtual machine by cloning the VMX file using the clone capabilities introduced in VMware Fusion 6, Workstation 10, and Player 6. After cloning the VM, it provisions software within the new machine, shuts it down, and compacts the disks. The resulting folder contains a new VMware virtual machine.

Basic Example

Here is an example. This example is fully functional as long as the source path points to a real VMX file with the proper settings:

{
  "type": "vmware-vmx",
  "source_path": "/path/to/a/vm.vmx",
  "ssh_username": "root",
  "ssh_password": "root",
  "shutdown_command": "shutdown -P now"
}

Configuration Reference

There are many configuration options available for the VMware builder. They are organized below into two categories: required and optional. Within each category, the available options are alphabetized and described.

Required:

  • source_path (string) - Path to the source VMX file to clone.

  • ssh_username (string) - The username to use to SSH into the machine once the OS is installed.

Optional:

  • boot_wait (string) - The time to wait after booting the initial virtual machine before typing the boot_command. The value of this should be a duration. Examples are "5s" and "1m30s" which will cause Packer to wait five seconds and one minute 30 seconds, respectively. If this isn't specified, the default is 10 seconds.

  • floppy_files (array of strings) - A list of files to put onto a floppy disk that is attached when the VM is booted for the first time. This is most useful for unattended Windows installs, which look for an Autounattend.xml file on removable media. By default no floppy will be attached. The files listed in this configuration will all be put into the root directory of the floppy disk; sub-directories are not supported.

  • fusion_app_path (string) - Path to "VMware Fusion.app". By default this is "/Applications/VMware Fusion.app" but this setting allows you to customize this.

  • headless (bool) - Packer defaults to building VMware virtual machines by launching a GUI that shows the console of the machine being built. When this value is set to true, the machine will start without a console. For VMware machines, Packer will output VNC connection information in case you need to connect to the console to debug the build process.

  • output_directory (string) - This is the path to the directory where the resulting virtual machine will be created. This may be relative or absolute. If relative, the path is relative to the working directory when packer is executed. This directory must not exist or be empty prior to running the builder. By default this is "output-BUILDNAME" where "BUILDNAME" is the name of the build.

  • skip_compaction (bool) - VMware-created disks are defragmented and compacted at the end of the build process using vmware-vdiskmanager. In certain rare cases, this might actually end up making the resulting disks slightly larger. If you find this to be the case, you can disable compaction using this configuration value.

  • shutdown_command (string) - The command to use to gracefully shut down the machine once all the provisioning is done. By default this is an empty string, which tells Packer to just forcefully shut down the machine.

  • shutdown_timeout (string) - The amount of time to wait after executing the shutdown_command for the virtual machine to actually shut down. If it doesn't shut down in this time, it is an error. By default, the timeout is "5m", or five minutes.

  • ssh_key_path (string) - Path to a private key to use for authenticating with SSH. By default this is not set (key-based auth won't be used). The associated public key is expected to already be configured on the VM being prepared by some other process (kickstart, etc.).

  • ssh_password (string) - The password for ssh_username to use to authenticate with SSH. By default this is the empty string.

  • ssh_port (int) - The port that SSH will listen on within the virtual machine. By default this is 22.

  • ssh_skip_request_pty (bool) - If true, a pty will not be requested as part of the SSH connection. By default, this is "false", so a pty will be requested.

  • ssh_wait_timeout (string) - The duration to wait for SSH to become available. By default this is "20m", or 20 minutes. Note that this should be quite long since the timer begins as soon as the virtual machine is booted.

  • vm_name (string) - This is the name of the VMX file for the new virtual machine, without the file extension. By default this is "packer-BUILDNAME", where "BUILDNAME" is the name of the build.

  • vmx_data (object, string keys and string values) - Arbitrary key/values to enter into the virtual machine VMX file. This is for advanced users who want to set properties such as memory, CPU, etc.