Use Packer to create a Proxmox Template of Ubuntu server using Subiquity with an option for a Cloud Init drive.
packer build .
- Create a new file,
secrets.auto.pkrvars.hcland populate variables for your environment. - Use
mkpasswdto generate a hashed ssh_password. Populate the hashed password in.ubuntu\http\user-data. - Change any values in
ubuntu-20.04.auto.pkrvars.hclto suite your environment. - Define Ansible inventory variables.
secrets.auto.pkrvars.hcl
proxmox_host = "pve.example.com:8006"
proxmox_node = "pve-01"
proxmox_user = "root@pam!token"
proxmox_token = "AAAAAAAA-BBBB-2222-1111-DDDDDDDDDDDD"
ssh_user = "ubuntu"
ssh_password = "password"| variable | default | required | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| proxmox_host | Yes | Proxmox FQDN host name and port | |
| proxmox_node | Yes | Proxmox node name | |
| proxmox_user | Yes | Proxmox user name | |
| proxmox_password | "" | No | Proxmox password |
| proxmox_token | "" | No | Proxmox api token |
| iso | Yes | URL to an ISO which will upload to Proxmox | |
| iso_checksum | Yes | Checksum of the ISO | |
| iso_storage_pool | local | No | Proxmox storage pool to upload the ISO |
| vmid | null | No | Proxmox virtual machine ID |
| template_name | ubuntu | No | Name of template in Proxmox |
| template_description | null | No | Proxmox notes field |
| os | l26 | No | Operating system type |
| memory | 1024 | No | Memory in MB |
| cores | 1 | No | Number of CPU cores |
| sockets | 1 | No | Number of CPU sockets |
| disk_size | 20GB | No | The size of the disk including a unit suffix |
| disk_pool | local-lvm | No | Name of Proxmox storage pool |
| disk_pool_type | lvm-thin | No | Type of the pool |
| enable_cloud_init | False | No | Add Cloud init drive to disk_pool location |
| ssh_user | ubuntu | No | SSH user |
| ssh_password | Yes | SSH password | |
| boot_wait | 6s | No | Seconds to wait before entering the boot command. |
| boot_command | Yes | Boot command to auto install Ubuntu |
proxmox_user: Proxmox user account must be in the format user@domain!token_name. If a Proxmox password is used omit the token_name.
proxmox_password: Either the password or the token must be provided. The token is preferred. If both are given the token will take precedence. If a password is given the token name may be omitted from the proxmox_user.
proxmox_token: Either the token or the password must be provided. The token is preferred. If both are given the token will take precedence. If a token is given the token name must be included in the proxmox_user.
ssh_password: Use mkpasswd -m sha-512 -s to generate a hashed password for the ssh_user account. Put this hashed password in the ubuntu\http\user-data file. This should match the plain text packer variable.
boot_wait: Depending on your hardware you may need to adjust the boot wait time. Too short or too long and the automated boot sequence will not execute.
The Packer build uses the Ansible Provisioner to accomplish the following tasks:
- Update and clean up installed apt packages.
- Remove the machine-id.
- Update netplan for use with Cloud Init.
- Prepare and Cloud Init.
Ansible Inventory is assumed to be located in ~/.ansible/inventory. Ansible vault encrypted files in the inventory assume the key is located in ~/.vault-key. Both paths are defined in ubuntu.pkr.hcl if the values need to be modified.
The template, 99_pve.cfg.j2, defines Cloud Init configuration. The file accomplishes the following:
- Set time zone.
- Allow cloud init to define the default user.
- Upgrade installed packages.
- Grow the partition to fit the disk size assigned in Cloud Init.
- Apply netplan.
- Create a birth certificate when child machines are created.