Packer Image Builder Script

This repository contains an interactive script for building packer images using Jenkins Job Builder (JJB) validated combinations, excluding End-of-Life platforms.

Prerequisites

1. Environment Setup

Before running any packer builds, you must configure your environment: Ensure the latest version of the ci-management repository is cloned on a host with the cloud tenant access. If you are running this locally ensure you have a loopback ssh tunnel to the bastion host (IP address of the Jenkins sandbox) on a separate terminal.

# Set Python version using pyenv
pyenv global 3.10.13

# Activate ansible virtual environment
source ~/virtualenv/ansible/bin/activate

# Verify setup
python --version  # Should show Python 3.10.13
which python      # Should show pyenv path

2. Required Files

Ensure these files exist in the parent directory:

• cloud-env.json - OpenStack cloud configuration
• OS_CLOUD environment variable set to odlci
• .config/openstack/clouds.yaml - OpenStack credentials

3. Directory Structure

The script expects this structure:

ci-management/                         # Repository root
├── jjb/
│   └── releng-packer-jobs.yaml  # JJB configuration (validates combinations)
├── packer/
│   ├── common-packer/           # This directory
│   │   ├── build-packer-images.sh  # Interactive JJB script
│   │   ├── vars/                # Variable files
│   │   │   ├── ubuntu-22.04.pkrvars.hcl
│   │   │   ├── ubuntu-24.04.pkrvars.hcl
│   │   │   └── ...
│   │   └── templates/           # Common templates
│   │       ├── builder.pkr.hcl
│   │       ├── docker.pkr.hcl
│   │       └── ...
│   └── templates/               # Additional templates
│       ├── devstack.pkr.hcl
│       ├── robot.pkr.hcl
│       └── ...
└── cloud-env.json               # OpenStack cloud configuration

Usage

Interactive JJB Script (Recommended)

1. Navigate to the repository root:

   cd builder

2. Run the JJB-based interactive script:

   ./packer/common-packer/build-packer-images.sh

3. Follow the prompts:

   • Option 1: Build all JJB combinations (21 validated builds, ubuntu-18.04 EOL excluded)
   • Option 2: Select specific combinations by number
   • Option 3: Exit

4. Choose execution mode:

   • Mode 1: Execute builds immediately (sequential) with live output + log files
   • Mode 2: Generate build commands only (dry-run)
   • Mode 3: Execute builds in background (parallel) with individual log files

JJB Validated Combinations (21 total)

The script only builds combinations validated in jjb/releng-packer-jobs.yaml:

Builder images (6 platforms):

• centos-7, centos-cs-8, centos-cs-9, ubuntu-20.04, ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-24.04

Docker images (3 platforms, ubuntu-18.04 EOL excluded):

• centos-7, ubuntu-20.04, ubuntu-22.04

DevStack variants (centos-7 only):

• devstack, devstack-pre-pip-queens, devstack-pre-pip-rocky, devstack-pre-pip-stein

Specialized images:

• helm (centos-7)
• mininet-ovs-217 (ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-24.04)
• robot (centos-7, centos-cs-8, centos-cs-9, ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-24.04)

Direct Command Line

For individual builds, use this format:

# Set environment first
pyenv global 3.10.13
source ~/virtualenv/ansible-new/bin/activate

# Run packer build
OS_CLOUD=odlci packer.io build \
  -only=openstack.<template-name> \
  -var-file=cloud-env.json \
  -var-file=common-packer/vars/<var-file>.pkrvars.hcl \
  templates/<template-file>.pkr.hcl

Build Target Examples:

• Builder: -only=openstack.builder
• Docker: -only=openstack.docker
• Devstack: -only=openstack.devstack
• Robot: -only=openstack.robot
• Helm: -only=openstack.helm

Available Configurations

Variable Files (OS/Architecture)

• centos-7.pkrvars.hcl, centos-7-arm64.pkrvars.hcl
• centos-8.pkrvars.hcl
• centos-cs-8.pkrvars.hcl, centos-cs-9.pkrvars.hcl
• ubuntu-16.04.pkrvars.hcl, ubuntu-16.04-arm64.pkrvars.hcl
• ubuntu-18.04.pkrvars.hcl, ubuntu-18.04-arm64.pkrvars.hcl
• ubuntu-20.04.pkrvars.hcl, ubuntu-20.04-arm64.pkrvars.hcl
• ubuntu-22.04.pkrvars.hcl
• ubuntu-24.04.pkrvars.hcl, ubuntu-24.04-arm64.pkrvars.hcl
• windows-server-2016.pkrvars.hcl

Template Files (Image Types)

• builder.pkr.hcl - Basic builder image
• docker.pkr.hcl - Docker-enabled image
• devstack.pkr.hcl - OpenStack DevStack image
• helm.pkr.hcl - Kubernetes Helm image
• robot.pkr.hcl - Robot Framework testing image
• mininet-ovs-217.pkr.hcl - Mininet networking image
• Various devstack pre-pip templates

Example Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Test Single Configuration

cd /home/abelur/git/builder
./packer/common-packer/build-packer-images.sh
# Choose: 2 (select specific combinations)
# Enter: 15 (ubuntu-22.04 + builder)
# Choose: 2 (dry-run mode)

Scenario 2: Build All Ubuntu Builder Images

cd /home/abelur/git/builder
./packer/common-packer/build-packer-images.sh
# Choose: 2 (select specific combinations)
# Enter: 13 15 7 (ubuntu-20.04, ubuntu-22.04, ubuntu-24.04 + builder)
# Choose: 3 (execute in background)

Scenario 3: Build All JJB Combinations

cd /home/abelur/git/builder
./packer/common-packer/build-packer-images.sh
# Choose: 1 (build all 21 JJB combinations)
# Choose: 3 (execute in background)

Build Process

Each packer build follows this process:

1. Environment Setup: Creates OpenStack instance with specified OS
2. Python Installation: Installs Python and configures package mirrors
3. Ansible Setup: Creates virtual environment and installs Ansible roles
4. Provisioning: Runs Ansible playbooks to configure the image
5. Image Creation: Snapshots the configured instance as a reusable image

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Python 3.10 not found

   # Solution: Set pyenv before running builds
   pyenv global 3.10.13

2. Ansible virtual environment missing

   # Solution: Activate ansible venv
   source ~/virtualenv/ansible-new/bin/activate

3. netselect download failures

   • The script automatically handles version compatibility
   • Ubuntu ≤ 20.04 uses older netselect version
   • Ubuntu > 20.04 uses newer version

4. Wrong build target

   • The script automatically determines correct targets
   • Manual commands: use -only=openstack.<template-basename>

5. Cloud configuration issues

   # Verify cloud-env.json exists and OS_CLOUD is set
   ls -la ../cloud-env.json
   echo $OS_CLOUD  # Should show: odlci

Network Issues

If ansible-galaxy role downloads fail:

• Check network connectivity
• Retry the build - temporary network issues often resolve
• Use --ignore-errors flag in ansible-galaxy calls if needed

Performance Tips

• Parallel builds: Use background execution mode for multiple builds
• Selective building: Use dry-run mode first to verify commands
• Resource limits: Monitor OpenStack quota when running many parallel builds
• Build time: Each build takes 15-45 minutes depending on complexity

Build Output and Logging

Log Files

All builds are automatically logged to /tmp/ with detailed filenames:

• Format: /tmp/packer-build-{platform}-{template}-{timestamp}.log
• Examples:
  • /tmp/packer-build-ubuntu-22.04-builder-20250912-143022.log
  • /tmp/packer-build-centos-7-docker-20250912-143055.log
• Contents: Complete packer output, Ansible logs, error details

Build Monitoring

• Sequential mode (1): Live output + log files using tee
• Background mode (3): Monitor with tail -f /tmp/packer-build-*.log
• Status check: Use jobs and wait commands

Successful builds create:

• OpenStack Images: Registered in the OpenStack image service
• Build Logs: Complete execution logs in /tmp/
• Ansible Details: Provisioning steps and configuration changes

Failed builds:

• Error Logs: Detailed failure information in log files
• Cleanup: Automatically clean up temporary resources
• Retry: Can be safely retried after fixing issues

Script Features

• Auto-discovery: Finds all variable and template files automatically
• Smart filtering: Excludes configuration files (cloud-env.*)
• Interactive selection: User-friendly numbered menus
• Flexible execution: Immediate, dry-run, or background modes
• Path handling: Works with any repository name/structure
• Error handling: Validates inputs and file existence
• Progress tracking: Clear indication of build progress

Support

For issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Verify all prerequisites are met
3. Use dry-run mode to validate commands
4. Review packer and ansible logs for specific errors