# Create and Import Local Images using Packer

## Overview

Packer is a lightweight open-source tool for automatic image packaging launched by Hashicorp Company ([for more details, refer to the previous document](/docs/uhost/guide/image/packer)). DezaiCloud now supports one-click importing of homemade local images into the DezaiCloud cloud platform thanks to the integration of Packer.

## Related Links

[Packer Official Download Page](https://www.packer.io/downloads.html?spm=a2c4g.11186623.2.13.7186682bskvY7M)

For installing Packer

[Open Source Repository Address](https://github.com/hashicorp/packer)

Feel free to contribute codes to DezaiCloud Packer Builder

## Image Import Example

Next, a CentOS image will be created and imported using Packer. It is shown below:

<!-- image-todo -->

![img](https://cdn.udelivrs.com/2025/06/6433ceca3f97e5ed51be02aff6eb4fa8_1749703385312.png)<br>

Packer first makes a RAW image using [QEMU Builder](https://www.packer.io/docs/builders/qemu.html), stored in a local directory specified by user, and then uses *import* [Post-Processors](https://www.packer.io/docs/post-processors/index.html) to store the local image to a UFile specified by the user, and automatically imports it into the DezaiCloud cloud platform.

### Environment setup

**Install Packer**

- Follow the [official installation document](https://www.packer.io/intro/getting-started/install.html#alternative-installation-methods) to install Packer

**Configure default User**

Set keys   TEST\_PUBLIC\_KEY, TEST\_PRIVATE\_ KEY and project ID TEST\_PROJECT\_ID as global environment variables (recommended), or specify public\_key、 private\_key、 project\_id explicitly in the json file.

**Install QEMU**

- Follow the [official installation document](https://www.qemu.org/download/), and you can use command lines to install it. MacOS: *brew install qemu*, CentOs: *yum install qemu-kvm*, Ubuntu: *apt-get install qemu*

**Create a UFile bucket**

- Follow the [official document](/docs/ufile/devguide/bucket/devguide)


### Write a JSON File 

Let's take the example of creating and importing a CentOS 6.10 custom image using QEMU on a macOS system. First, create a clean empty folder as the workspace, switch to this directory, and write a JSON specification file (e.g., local.json) as follows:

```json
{"variables": {
  "test_public_key": "{{env `TEST_PUBLIC_KEY`}}",
  "test_private_key": "{{env `TEST_PRIVATE_KEY`}}",
  "test_project_id": "{{env `TEST_PROJECT_ID`}}",
  "disk_size": "4096",
  "iso_checksum": "0da4a1206e7642906e33c0f155d2f835",
  "iso_checksum_type": "md5",
  "iso_name": "CentOS-6.10-x86_64-minimal.iso",
  "ks_path": "centos-6.10/ks.cfg",
  "mirror": "http://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/centos",
  "mirror_directory": "6.10/isos/x86_64",
  "template": "centos-6.10-x86_64"
},
  "builders":[
    {
      "type": "qemu",
      "boot_command": [
        "<tab> text ks=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/{{user `ks_path`}}<enter><wait>"
      ],
      "boot_wait": "10s",
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "http_directory": "http",
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_checksum_type": "{{user `iso_checksum_type`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `mirror`}}/{{user `mirror_directory`}}/{{user `iso_name`}}",
      "output_directory": "packer-{{user `template`}}-qemu",
      "shutdown_command": "echo 'packer'|sudo -S shutdown -P now",
      "ssh_password": "test_packer",
      "ssh_port": 22,
      "ssh_username": "root",
      "ssh_timeout": "10000s",
      "vm_name": "{{ user `template` }}.raw",
      "net_device": "virtio-net",
      "disk_interface": "virtio",
      "format": "raw",
      "use_default_display": "false",
      "qemuargs": [
        ["-display", "cocoa"]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "post-processors":[
    {
      "type":"import",
      "public_key": "{{user `test_public_key`}}",
      "private_key": "{{user `test_private_key`}}",
      "project_id": "{{user `test_project_id`}}",
      "region":"cn-bj2",
      "ufile_bucket_name": "packer-test",
      "image_name": "packer_import_test",
      "image_os_type": "CentOS",
      "image_os_name": "CentOS 6.10 64bits",
      "format": "raw"
    }
  ]
}
```
This sets up a *qemu* Builder and an *import* [Post-Processors](https://www.packer.io/docs/post-processors/index.html), where the UFile bucket name and other information are configured.

### Write Kickstart Files

  Based on the http_directory and boot_command configured in the QEMU section of the above JSON file, a ./http/centos-6.10/ directory needs to be created in the JSON file's directory to store the Kickstart file ks.cfg, as follows: ([Kickstart reference document](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/zh-cn/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/installation_guide/ch-kickstart2))
```
install
cdrom
lang en_US.UTF-8
keyboard us
network --bootproto=dhcp
rootpw test_packer
firewall --disabled
selinux --permissive
timezone UTC
unsupported_hardware
bootloader --location=mbr
text
skipx
zerombr
clearpart --all
autopart
auth --enableshadow --passalgo=sha512
firstboot --disabled
reboot

%packages --nobase --ignoremissing
sudo
gcc
make
%end
```
  
### Execute the Command Line

By running the command *packer build local.json*, you can create and import a custom image in one click.