Packer 101: Golden Images for AWS, Azure, and GCP
A hands-on course on HashiCorp Packer 1.16. Build golden machine images as code. Start with Docker, then bake Ubuntu AMIs on AWS with amazon-ebs and provision with shell and Ansible. Write the same template shape for Azure and Google Cloud, validate it from the first AMI labs, and bake live Azure and GCP images when academy credentials allow. Parameterize HCL2 templates, select a source with -only='*.amazon-ebs.*', attach unsigned SLSA provenance, consume AMIs from Terraform, and operate a parent/child golden-image factory. HCP Packer is covered conceptually so you can evaluate the registry without needing a HashiCorp Cloud org.
Course Preview
Why This Course is Different
Get everything you need to master platform engineering and advance your career
Certificate of Completion
Earn a certificate while gaining real-world skills that go beyond traditional certification prep
Hands-on Labs
9 practical labs with real-world scenarios in pre-configured cloud environments
Expert-Led
Learn from Sam Gabrail, Former HashiCorp Sr. Solutions Engineer with 18+ years experience
Community Support
Join our community where members help each other and collaborate on learning
What You'll Master
Explain golden images and when to bake versus configure at launch
Write HCL2 Packer templates with required_plugins, sources, and builds
Build a Docker image and an Amazon EBS-backed AMI with Packer
Parameterize templates with variables, locals, and data sources
Provision images with shell, file, and ansible-local
Adapt the same template shape to azure-arm and googlecompute
Build from a multi-cloud template using -only='*.amazon-ebs.*' to select a source
Emit a manifest and unsigned SLSA provenance for a build
Launch a baked AMI with Terraform and tear it down
Describe HCP Packer channels and revocation without depending on HCP in labs
Clean up AMIs, snapshots, and cloud images so image pipelines do not leak cost
Course Curriculum
SECTION 1 – COURSE INTRODUCTION
Course overview, the TeKanAid community, Packer editions and licensing, and how the hands-on labs work.
- •Welcome and Course Overview
- •Community
- •Editions, Licensing, and What You Will Build
- •Environment Setup and Lab Conventions
SECTION 2 – IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND GOLDEN IMAGES
Why snowflake servers drift, what golden images fix, and when Packer beats cloud-native image builders or boot-time configuration.
- •Snowflake Servers and Drift
- •Golden Images and Immutable Infrastructure
- •Packer vs Terraform, cloud-init, and Ansible-at-Boot
- •Packer vs Cloud-Native Image Builders
- •When Not to Bake an Image
- •Immutable Infrastructure and Golden Images QuizQuiz
SECTION 3 – PACKER ARCHITECTURE, PLUGINS, AND THE CLI
HCL2 template anatomy, required_plugins and packer init, builders versus data sources, and the Packer CLI.
- •Template Anatomy
- •Plugin Model and packer init
- •Builders, Data Sources, and Communicators
- •CLI: fmt, validate, inspect, and build
- •HCL2 versus JSON and hcl2_upgrade
- •Packer Architecture QuizQuiz
SECTION 4 – FIRST IMAGE WITH DOCKER
Build your first Packer image with the Docker builder using Ubuntu 24.04, then debug a failed provisioner.
- •Why Start with Docker
- •Your First HCL Template
- •Shell Provisioner on Docker
- •Debug Failed Builds
- •First Image with Docker QuizQuiz
- •First Image with DockerLab
SECTION 5 – HCL2: VARIABLES, LOCALS, AND DATA SOURCES
Parameterize Packer templates with variables, locals, functions, and data sources across AWS, Azure, and GCP shapes.
- •Variable Types, Defaults, and Sensitive
- •Var Files, Environment Variables, and Precedence
- •Locals and Functions
- •Data Sources
- •Splitting Files
- •HCL2 Language QuizQuiz
SECTION 6 – BUILDING AMIS ON AWS
Bake Ubuntu 24.04 AMIs with amazon-ebs, IMDSv2, SSH, tagging, and cleanup, with Azure and GCP mapping.
- •The amazon-ebs Pipeline
- •source_ami_filter vs data.amazon-ami
- •Instance Type, VPC, and IMDSv2
- •SSH Communicator and Ephemeral Keys
- •AMI Naming, Tagging, and Regions
- •Windows AMIs and Azure/GCP Pipeline Mapping
- •Building AMIs on AWS QuizQuiz
- •First AWS AMILab
- •Parameterize an AWS AMILab
SECTION 7 – PROVISIONING IMAGES
Install and configure software into images with shell, file, and ansible-local provisioners, including continue_on_error.
- •Shell Provisioner
- •File Provisioner and templatefile
- •Ansible and ansible-local
- •only, except, and continue_on_error
- •Debugging Failed Provisioners
- •Provisioning Images QuizQuiz
- •Shell, File, and Ansible ProvisionersLab
SECTION 8 – AZURE AND GCP IMAGE BUILDERS
Build managed images on Azure and custom images on GCP, map concepts to AMIs, and respect academy size and region limits.
- •Azure ARM Auth and Managed Images
- •Azure Compute Gallery (Conceptual)
- •googlecompute Auth, Families, and Zones
- •AMI vs Managed Image vs GCE Image
- •IAM Least Privilege per Builder
- •Academy Region, Size, and Disk Constraints
- •Azure and GCP Image Builders QuizQuiz
- •Azure Managed ImageLab
- •GCP Custom ImageLab
SECTION 9 – MULTI-CLOUD TEMPLATES AND PARALLEL BUILDS
Keep amazon-ebs, azure-arm, and googlecompute sources in one template and select AWS with HCL2 build-name globs.
- •Multiple Sources, One Build
- •only, except, and Build Names
- •Shared vs Source-Specific Provisioners
- •Source Overrides and Naming
- •Multi-cloud Templates QuizQuiz
- •Multi-cloud Template, AWS BakeLab
SECTION 10 – POST-PROCESSORS, PROVENANCE, AND METADATA
Capture build metadata with manifest and unsigned SLSA provenance, and clean up AMIs explicitly.
- •The Manifest Post-Processor
- •Docker Tag and Local Naming
- •Provenance and verify-attestation
- •AMI Management vs Explicit Cleanup
- •Post-processors, Provenance, and Metadata QuizQuiz
SECTION 11 – IMAGE LIFECYCLE, SECURITY, AND HARDENING
Version and tag images, manage copy and share, clean up snapshots, harden Linux AMIs, and ask who built an image.
- •Versioning and Tag Conventions
- •Copy, Share, and Deprecate
- •Snapshot Cost and Cleanup
- •Hardening Checklist
- •Supply Chain: Who Built This?
- •Image Lifecycle, Security, and Hardening QuizQuiz
SECTION 12 – TERRAFORM CONSUMPTION AND PLATFORM WORKFLOWS
Launch baked AMIs with Terraform 1.16.2, read AMI IDs from manifests or filters, and compare user_data to baked images.
- •Packer Builds, Terraform Launches
- •Reading the AMI ID from Manifest or Filters
- •Azure and GCP Terraform Consumption
- •user_data vs Baked Images
- •Terraform Consumption QuizQuiz
- •Launch a Baked AMI with TerraformLab
SECTION 13 – CI/CD, GOLDEN IMAGE FACTORY, HCP PACKER, WRAP-UP
Automate Packer in CI, build parent and child golden images with unsigned provenance, and understand HCP Packer conceptually.
- •CI Pattern: PR Validates, Main Builds
- •GitHub Actions Workflow File (Local Execution)
- •Parent/Child Golden Image Pipeline
- •HCP Packer: Registry, Channels, and Revoke (Conceptual)
- •Local Manifest and channels.json Analog
- •Wrap-Up and What's Next
- •CI/CD, Golden Factory, and HCP Wrap-Up QuizQuiz
- •Golden Image FactoryLab
Course Features
Hands-on Labs
Lots of hands-on labs to learn by doing
Join our Community
Community support to ask questions and collaborate
Test Your Knowledge
Quizzes to help you grasp the material well
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Hi there, I'm Sam
I'm a husband and father of two wonderful boys. I'm also very passionate 🔥 about all things technology. From when I was 10, I had a dream to become a computer 💻 engineer one day. Here I am today living the dream!
Thanks for visiting TeKanAid Academy. My goal is to teach you all things DevOps. Below are some of the things I've done over the years. I'm confident that I can help you achieve your dreams too.
- 18+ years of experience in various Information Technology fields from Telecommunications, Computer Networks, Digital Transformation, DevOps, Cybersecurity, and IoT
- President of TeKanAid Solutions Inc. building online content in the DevOps space
- Previous – Sr. Solutions Engineer at HashiCorp
View my Certifications
Terraform: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
Vault: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (002)
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Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Terraform.
Issued by HashiCorp
HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (002)
Verify my certificate
Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Vault.
Issued by HashiCorp
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