How to build custom MAAS images

This guide covers building custom images for the following operating systems using Packer for deployment in MAAS:

• RHEL 7
• RHEL 8
• CentOS 7
• Oracle Linux 8
• Oracle Linux 9
• VMware ESXi

1. Verify Requirements

You need a machine running Ubuntu 18.04+ or 22.04+ with the ability to run KVM virtual machines. Ensure the following components are available:

2. Install Packer

For Ubuntu 18.04+

sudo apt install packer

For Ubuntu 22.04+ (Required for Oracle Linux 8/9)

curl -fsSL https://apt.releases.hashicorp.com/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-add-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://apt.releases.hashicorp.com $(lsb_release -cs) main"
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install packer

3. Install Dependencies

Install dependencies required for image building:

sudo apt install qemu-utils

For Oracle Linux 8/9 and VMware ESXi, install additional dependencies:

sudo apt install libnbd-bin nbdkit fuse2fs qemu-utils

For VMware ESXi, install Python pip:

sudo apt install pip

4. Get Packer Templates

Clone the Packer templates repository:

git clone https://github.com/canonical/packer-maas.git

5. Download ISO Files

Download the appropriate ISO for your desired OS version and place it in the corresponding subdirectory:

6. Customize the Image

Modify the Kickstart file to customize the deployment image:

Refer to the respective Kickstart documentation for detailed customization options.

7. Optional Proxy Configuration

To use a proxy during the build process:

1. Set the HTTP Proxy:

   export HTTP_PROXY=http://your-proxy-server:port
   

2. Modify Kickstart Files:

   Add --proxy=$HTTP_PROXY to lines starting with url or repo.

For Oracle Linux 8/9, set the KS_PROXY variable:

export KS_PROXY=$HTTP_PROXY

8. Build the Image

Using the Makefile

Run the following command in the appropriate subdirectory (rhel7, rhel8, centos7, ol8, ol9, vmware-esxi):

make ISO=/PATH/TO/your-iso-file.iso

Manually Using Packer

Alternatively, manually run Packer:

For RHEL 7/8:

sudo PACKER_LOG=1 packer build -var 'iso_path=/PATH/TO/your-iso-file.iso' rhel7.json  # or rhel8.json

For CentOS 7:

sudo PACKER_LOG=1 packer build centos7.json

For Oracle Linux 8/9:

packer init .
PACKER_LOG=1 packer build .

For VMware ESXi:

sudo PACKER_LOG=1 packer build -var 'vmware_esxi_iso_path=/PATH/TO/your-esxi-iso-file.iso' vmware-esxi.json

Note: Packer runs in headless mode by default. To view the installation output, connect via VNC or set headless to false.

9. Upload the Image to MAAS

Commands for Each OS

10. Verify and Log In

Deploy the image and log in to verify customizations:

---

Last updated 11 days ago.