Example of Windows 10 template for 'vsphere-iso' builder

[mkuzmin]

Builders are now split into vsphere-clone and vsphere-iso.
ISO builder allows creating VMs from scratch, and install OS from CD-ROM image.

ISO files must be uploaded into datastore manually. Floppies can be also created dynamically.
The builder can attach multiple CD-ROM and floppy devices in parallel. All of them are deleted at the end of the build.
boot_command keystrokes are not supported yet.

Binaries are published in v2.0-beta1 release.

VMware Tools installer (windows.iso) and PVSCSI drivers (pvscsi-Windows8.flp) can be downloaded from vmware.com.

[casey-robertson]

So far so good - got networking sorted and machine is building. However, packer is stuck on "vsphere-iso: Waiting for IP...." VM has an IP.... what mechanics is this using? Is this a function of not having the VMWare tools installed?

[mkuzmin]

IP is reported from within VM by VMware Tools daemon, so it must be installed as part of unattended setup.

[stacycarter]

@mkuzmin I'm new to Packer. Trying to deploy Windows Server 2016 SAD to vSphere from ISO, configure, convert to template.
Finally got to the point where Packer deploys the VM, mounts the Windows install ISO. Created the autounattend.xml file and put it in the Packer directory. Trying to mount it as floppy, and getting "error adding floppy: error uploading floppy image: 401 Unauthorized." The service account I'm using has limited perms, so I'm wondering if it's that. Where does this floppy image get uploaded to exactly?

Update: I figured it out. It's trying to upload the file to the VM folder on the datastore. Added more vCenter perms and got it to upload the floppy successfully.

[lokiwins]

@stacycarter You may want to check out https://github.com/joefitzgerald/packer-windows gives you a good base line to start from

[stacycarter]

@lokiwins thanks, have checked out that repository and about 10 others. Unfortunately, none of the examples have exactly what I'm trying to do. Using the vSphere-ISO beta. Made it past the hurdle mentioned above (and about 15 others), now on another hurdle. Wish some of this documentation was more detailed, it's been a huge challenge to figure out.