Packer
February 22, 2026
What it is
Packer builds machine images (AMI, GCE, etc.) and container images from a single config. Use provisioners (shell, Ansible, etc.) to customize; output to multiple backends at once.
Usage
Golden images for clouds; immutable OS + app images; consistent dev/prod images; avoid manual imaging.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One config, many output formats | Build time can be long |
| Provisioners (Ansible, shell) | Learning curve for builders |
| Integrates with Terraform | |
| Mature and documented |
Alternatives
Custom scripts, cloud-native builders (e.g. AWS Image Builder). Why Packer: Multi-cloud images from code; works well with Terraform.
Links
- Homepage: https://www.packer.io/
- Documentation: https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/docs