How to solve problem with many variables in mind?

[Deking]

As you can see here my whole set up: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/packer-tool/WQEXIut-ibI

The issue with this is that i have too many variables (lets say 40) and packer json would be too crowded.

{

"type": "shell",

"script": "./example.sh",

"environment_vars": [

"AWS_ACCESS_KEY={{user `script_aws_access`}}",

"AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY={{user `script_aws_secret_access`}}",

"VPN_01_PUBLIC_IP={{user `vpn_01_public_ip`}}",

"VPN_01_PRIVATE_IP={{user `vpn_01_private_ip`}}"

5

6

7

8

9

10

etc

],

"pause_before": "10s"

}

Is there a way to hold non sensitive variables in separate file?

I was thinking something like this:

{

"type": "shell",

"script": "./example.sh",

"use_env_var_file": true,

"execute_command": "chmod +x {{ .Path }}; {{ .EnvVarFile }} sudo -E sh '{{ .Path }}'",

"environment_vars": [

"AWS_ACCESS_KEY={{user `script_aws_access`}}",

"AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY={{user `script_aws_secret_access`}}",

"pause_before": "10s"

}

So the point is to use "environment_vars" for AWS keys and other secrets, and VarFile for other non sensitive values.

1. How this can be achieved? 

2 . Where we can set .EnvVarFile variable? How packer knows the path to the Var file?

3. .Path ( in this case packer knows where is example.sh, right? 

[Megan Marsh]

There's no way to do this directly, but you can use the "file" provisioner to upload a VarFile, and then dot-source the file from within your shell script.