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AWS Ami Builder

HashiCorpOfficialPublished by HashiCorp

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MPL-2.0
  • Medium risk
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From the author

Build Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) with Packer using the amazon-ebs builder. Use when creating custom AMIs for EC2 instances.
— the description by HashiCorp

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a structured approach to building custom Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) for EC2 instances using HashiCorp Packer. It covers the configuration of the amazon-ebs builder, including source AMI filtering, multi-region replication, and authentication methods. The guide includes templates for common operating systems like Ubuntu and Amazon Linux, along with troubleshooting tips for common build issues such as SSH timeouts and naming conflicts.

What it does

  • Defines Packer HCL templates for creating custom AMIs on AWS.
  • Configures source AMI filters to automatically select the latest base images.
  • Supports multi-region AMI replication for global deployment.
  • Provides standard commands for initializing, validating, and executing builds.
  • Outlines authentication patterns for local and CI/CD environments.
  • Offers solutions for common build errors like SSH connectivity and volume sizing.

When to use it

  • When you need to create standardized, pre-configured machine images for EC2.
  • When automating infrastructure provisioning to reduce instance boot time.
  • When you need to maintain consistent environments across multiple AWS regions.
  • When you want to incorporate OS-level updates or software installations into your base images.

Advantages

  • Ensures consistent and reproducible machine image creation.
  • Simplifies multi-region deployment through built-in replication features.
  • Integrates seamlessly with existing AWS credential management systems.
  • Reduces manual configuration effort by automating image hardening and provisioning.

Usage examples

“How do I create a basic Ubuntu 22.04 AMI using Packer?”
The agent provides a complete HCL template using the amazon-ebs builder with a source_ami_filter for Ubuntu 22.04 and a shell provisioner to update the system.
“How can I make sure my AMI is available in multiple regions?”
The agent demonstrates how to use the ami_regions attribute within the amazon-ebs source block to automatically copy the resulting AMI to specified regions.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/hashicorp/aws-ami-builder/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip aws-ami-builder.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by HashiCorp

AWS AMI Builder

Build Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) using Packer's amazon-ebs builder.

Reference: Amazon EBS Builder

Note: Building AMIs incurs AWS costs (EC2 instances, EBS storage, data transfer). Builds typically take 10-30 minutes depending on provisioning complexity.

Basic AMI Template

packer {
  required_plugins {
    amazon = {
      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/amazon"
      version = "~> 1.3"
    }
  }
}

variable "region" {
  type    = string
  default = "us-west-2"
}

locals {
  timestamp = regex_replace(timestamp(), "[- TZ:]", "")
}

source "amazon-ebs" "ubuntu" {
  region        = var.region
  instance_type = "t3.micro"

  source_ami_filter {
    filters = {
      name                = "ubuntu/images/*ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*"
      root-device-type    = "ebs"
      virtualization-type = "hvm"
    }
    most_recent = true
    owners      = ["099720109477"] # Canonical
  }

  ssh_username = "ubuntu"
  ami_name     = "my-app-${local.timestamp}"

  tags = {
    Name      = "my-app"
    BuildDate = local.timestamp
  }
}

build {
  sources = ["source.amazon-ebs.ubuntu"]

  provisioner "shell" {
    inline = [
      "sudo apt-get update",
      "sudo apt-get upgrade -y",
    ]
  }
}

Common Source AMI Filters

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
source_ami_filter {
  filters = {
    name                = "ubuntu/images/*ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*"
    root-device-type    = "ebs"
    virtualization-type = "hvm"
  }
  most_recent = true
  owners      = ["099720109477"] # Canonical
}
Amazon Linux 2023
source_ami_filter {
  filters = {
    name                = "al2023-ami-*-x86_64"
    root-device-type    = "ebs"
    virtualization-type = "hvm"
  }
  most_recent = true
  owners      = ["amazon"]
}

Multi-Region AMI

source "amazon-ebs" "ubuntu" {
  region        = "us-west-2"
  instance_type = "t3.micro"

  source_ami_filter {
    filters = {
      name = "ubuntu/images/*ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*"
    }
    most_recent = true
    owners      = ["099720109477"]
  }

  ssh_username = "ubuntu"
  ami_name     = "my-app-${local.timestamp}"

  # Copy to additional regions
  ami_regions = ["us-east-1", "us-east-2", "eu-west-1"]
}

Authentication

Packer uses AWS credential resolution:

  1. Environment variables: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY

  2. AWS credentials file: ~/.aws/credentials

  3. IAM instance profile (when running on EC2)

export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID="your-access-key"
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="your-secret-key"
export AWS_REGION="us-west-2"

packer build .

Build Commands

# Initialize plugins
packer init .

# Validate template
packer validate .

# Build AMI
packer build .

# Build with variables
packer build -var "region=us-east-1" .

Common Issues

SSH Timeout

  • Ensure security group allows SSH (port 22)

  • Verify subnet has internet access

AMI Already Exists

  • AMI names must be unique

  • Use timestamp in name: my-app-${local.timestamp}

Volume Size Too Small

  • Check source AMI's volume size

  • Set launch_block_device_mappings.volume_size accordingly

References

Files

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

  • References to credential files

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Published by
HashiCorp
Publisher
HashiCorp (Official)
Source
hashicorp/agent-skills · plugins/packer/skills/aws-ami-builder · commit 5e30fa5
Licence
Mozilla Public License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by HashiCorp.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download aws-ami-builder.zip