Using Packer to Create an AWS AMI

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Using Packer to Create an AWS AMI

Packer lets us create machine images for a variety of platforms through code. A Packer template requires at least a builder and a communicator to provision an image. In this lab, we'll create an AWS machine image using the `amazon-ebs` builder and `ssh` communicator.

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Lab Info

Level

Intermediate

Last updated

Sep 23, 2025

Duration

30m

Challenge

Locate a Usable Source Image
1. Log in to the AWS Management Console, and navigate to EC2 > AMIs.
2. Filter by Owner: Amazon images and Platform: Amazon Linux. You may additionally search for platform type (hvm), or perform any additional filtering you deem necessary.
3. Look at the Source cell, and note how the source name is written.
Challenge

Create the Packer Template
1. Create a directory to store your templates.
2. Create the Packer file.
3. Begin the template, creating a variables object with variables for the access key, secret key, subnet ID, and security group.
Challenge

Test the Template
1. Update the variables in the template based on the information provided by the hands-on lab, and then save and exit the JSON file.
2. Validate the template.
3. Run the build.

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