Packer build opens VMWare Workstation GUI

[Mohan Radhakrishnan]

Hi,

I tried this template. But on Windows 10 the  VMWare Workstation GUI opens and shows the Ubuntu installation screen. It doesn't proceed by itself. I click the button to

begin installation and once it finishes it shutsdown. I can restart the OS from the Workstation GUI. Open SSH is not found and then I manually install it but then SSH connection fails since packer is waiting for it.

What am I doing wrong ?

Thanks,

Mohan

{

  "_comment": "Build with `packer build ubuntu.json`",

  "builders": [

    {

      "boot_command": [

        "{{ user `boot_command_prefix` }}",

        "/install/vmlinuz noapic ",

        "initrd=/install/initrd.gz ",

        "file=/floppy/{{ user `preseed` }} ",

        "debian-installer={{ user `locale` }} auto locale={{ user `locale` }} kbd-chooser/method=us ",

        "hostname={{ user `hostname` }} ",

        "grub-installer/bootdev=/dev/sda<wait> ",

        "fb=false debconf/frontend=noninteractive ",

        "keyboard-configuration/modelcode=SKIP keyboard-configuration/layout=USA ",

        "keyboard-configuration/variant=USA console-setup/ask_detect=false ",

        "passwd/user-fullname={{ user `ssh_fullname` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password-again={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/username={{ user `ssh_username` }} ",

        "-- <enter>"

      ],

      "disk_size": "{{ user `disk_size` }}",

      "floppy_files": [

        "http/{{ user `preseed` }}"

      ],

      "guest_os_type": "{{ user `vmware_guest_os_type` }}",

      "headless": "{{ user `headless` }}",

      "http_directory": "http",

      "iso_checksum": "{{ user `iso_checksum` }}",

      "iso_checksum_type": "{{ user `iso_checksum_type` }}",

      "iso_urls": [

        "{{ user `iso_path` }}/{{ user `iso_name` }}",

        "{{ user `iso_url` }}"

      ],

      "output_directory": "output-{{ user `vm_name` }}-vmware-iso",

      "shutdown_command": "echo '{{ user `ssh_password` }}'|sudo -S shutdown -P now",

      "ssh_password": "{{ user `ssh_password` }}",

      "ssh_username": "{{ user `ssh_username` }}",

      "ssh_timeout": "10000s",

      "tools_upload_flavor": "linux",

      "type": "vmware-iso",

      "vm_name": "{{ user `vm_name` }}",

      "vmx_data": {

        "ethernet0.pciSlotNumber": "32",

        "memsize": "{{ user `memory` }}",

        "numvcpus": "{{ user `cpus` }}"

      },

      "vmx_remove_ethernet_interfaces": true

    },

    {

      "boot_command": [

        "{{ user `boot_command_prefix` }}",

        "/install/vmlinuz noapic ",

        "initrd=/install/initrd.gz ",

        "file=/floppy/{{ user `preseed` }} ",

        "debian-installer={{ user `locale` }} auto locale={{ user `locale` }} kbd-chooser/method=us ",

        "hostname={{ user `hostname` }} ",

        "grub-installer/bootdev=/dev/sda<wait> ",

        "fb=false debconf/frontend=noninteractive ",

        "keyboard-configuration/modelcode=SKIP keyboard-configuration/layout=USA ",

        "keyboard-configuration/variant=USA console-setup/ask_detect=false ",

        "passwd/user-fullname={{ user `ssh_fullname` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password-again={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/username={{ user `ssh_username` }} ",

        "-- <enter>"

      ],

      "disk_size": "{{ user `disk_size` }}",

      "floppy_files": [

        "http/{{ user `preseed` }}"

      ],

      "guest_additions_path": "VBoxGuestAdditions_{{.Version}}.iso",

      "guest_os_type": "{{ user `virtualbox_guest_os_type` }}",

      "hard_drive_interface": "sata",

      "headless": "true",

      "iso_checksum": "{{ user `iso_checksum` }}",

      "iso_checksum_type": "{{ user `iso_checksum_type` }}",

      "iso_urls": [

        "{{ user `iso_path` }}/{{ user `iso_name` }}",

        "{{ user `iso_url` }}"

      ],

      "output_directory": "output-{{ user `vm_name` }}-virtualbox-iso",

      "post_shutdown_delay": "1m",

      "shutdown_command": "echo '{{ user `ssh_password` }}'|sudo -S shutdown -P now",

      "ssh_password": "{{ user `ssh_password` }}",

      "ssh_username": "{{ user `ssh_username` }}",

      "ssh_wait_timeout": "10000s",

      "type": "virtualbox-iso",

      "vboxmanage": [

        [

          "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--nictype1", "virtio"

        ],

        [

          "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--memory", "{{ user `memory` }}"

        ],

        [

          "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--cpus", "{{ user `cpus` }}"

        ]

      ],

      "virtualbox_version_file": ".vbox_version",

      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}"

    },

    {

      "boot_command": [

        "{{ user `boot_command_prefix` }}",

        "/install/vmlinuz noapic ",

        "initrd=/install/initrd.gz ",

        "file=/floppy/{{ user `preseed` }} ",

        "debian-installer={{ user `locale` }} auto locale={{ user `locale` }} kbd-chooser/method=us ",

        "hostname={{ user `hostname` }} ",

        "grub-installer/bootdev=/dev/sda<wait> ",

        "fb=false debconf/frontend=noninteractive ",

        "keyboard-configuration/modelcode=SKIP keyboard-configuration/layout=USA ",

        "keyboard-configuration/variant=USA console-setup/ask_detect=false ",

        "passwd/user-fullname={{ user `ssh_fullname` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/user-password-again={{ user `ssh_password` }} ",

        "passwd/username={{ user `ssh_username` }} ",

        "-- <wait><enter>"

      ],

      "disk_size": "{{ user `disk_size` }}",

      "floppy_files": [

        "http/{{ user `preseed` }}"

      ],

      "guest_os_type": "{{ user `parallels_guest_os_type` }}",

      "http_directory": "http",

      "iso_checksum": "{{ user `iso_checksum` }}",

      "iso_checksum_type": "{{ user `iso_checksum_type` }}",

      "iso_urls": [

        "{{ user `iso_path` }}/{{ user `iso_name` }}",

        "{{ user `iso_url` }}"

      ],

      "output_directory": "output-{{ user `vm_name` }}-parallels-iso",

      "parallels_tools_flavor": "lin",

      "prlctl": [

        [

          "set", "{{.Name}}", "--memsize", "{{ user `memory` }}"

        ],

        [

          "set", "{{.Name}}", "--cpus", "{{ user `cpus` }}"

        ]

      ],

      "prlctl_version_file": ".prlctl_version",

      "shutdown_command": "echo '{{ user `ssh_password` }}'|sudo -S shutdown -P now",

      "ssh_password": "{{ user `ssh_password` }}",

      "ssh_username": "{{ user `ssh_username` }}",

      "ssh_wait_timeout": "10000s",

      "type": "parallels-iso",

      "vm_name": "{{ user `vm_name` }}"

    }

  ],

  "post-processors": [

    {

      "keep_input_artifact": false,

      "output": "box/{{.Provider}}/{{user `vm_name`}}-{{user `version`}}.box",

      "type": "vagrant",

      "vagrantfile_template": "{{ user `vagrantfile_template` }}"

    }

  ],

  "provisioners": [

    {

      "environment_vars": [

        "CLEANUP_PAUSE={{user `cleanup_pause`}}",

        "DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive",

        "DESKTOP={{user `desktop`}}",

        "UPDATE={{user `update`}}",

        "INSTALL_VAGRANT_KEY={{user `install_vagrant_key`}}",

        "SSH_USERNAME={{user `ssh_username`}}",

        "SSH_PASSWORD={{user `ssh_password`}}",

        "http_proxy={{user `http_proxy`}}",

        "https_proxy={{user `https_proxy`}}",

        "ftp_proxy={{user `ftp_proxy`}}",

        "rsync_proxy={{user `rsync_proxy`}}",

        "no_proxy={{user `no_proxy`}}"

      ],

      "execute_command": "echo '{{ user `ssh_password` }}' | {{.Vars}} sudo -E -S bash '{{.Path}}'",

      "scripts": [

        "script/desktop.sh",

        "script/update.sh",

        "script/vagrant.sh",

        "script/sshd.sh",

        "script/vmware.sh",

        "script/virtualbox.sh",

        "script/parallels.sh",

        "script/motd.sh",

        "{{user `custom_script`}}",

        "script/minimize.sh",

        "script/cleanup.sh"

      ],

      "type": "shell",

      "expect_disconnect": "true"

    }

  ],

  "variables": {

    "boot_command_prefix": "<esc><esc><enter><wait>",

    "cleanup_pause": "",

    "cpus": "1",

    "custom_script": "custom-script.sh",

    "desktop": "false",

    "disk_size": "65536",

    "ftp_proxy": "{{env `ftp_proxy`}}",

    "headless": "false",

    "http_proxy": "{{env `http_proxy`}}",

    "https_proxy": "{{env `https_proxy`}}",

    "install_vagrant_key": "true",

    "iso_checksum": "a5b0ea5918f850124f3d72ef4b85bda82f0fcd02ec721be19c1a6952791c8ee8",

    "iso_checksum_type": "sha256",

    "iso_name": "ubuntu-18.04.1-server-amd64.iso",

    "iso_path": "/Volumes/Storage/software/ubuntu",

    "iso_url": "http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/releases/18.04/release/ubuntu-18.04.1-server-amd64.iso",

    "locale": "en_US",

    "memory": "512",

    "no_proxy": "{{env `no_proxy`}}",

    "parallels_guest_os_type": "ubuntu",

    "preseed" : "preseed.cfg",

    "rsync_proxy": "{{env `rsync_proxy`}}",

    "hostname": "vagrant",

    "ssh_fullname": "vagrant",

    "ssh_password": "vagrant",

    "ssh_username": "vagrant",

    "update": "false",

    "vagrantfile_template": "",

    "version": "0.1.0",

    "virtualbox_guest_os_type": "Ubuntu_64",

    "vm_name": "ubuntu1804",

    "vmware_guest_os_type": "ubuntu-64"

  }

}

Thanks,

Mohan

[dragon788]

`headless: false` is why the GUI is opening.

I'm not sure if the 18.04.1 is the latest ISO, you should try 18.04.4 though you'll need to update the checksum.

It looks like you might using GitHub.com/boxcutter/Ubuntu or GitHub.com/chef/bento and both of these have a README that describes how to invoke them correctly.

If you are using a different template you should certainly check these out.