Builders overview

Builders create machines and generate images from those machines for various platforms. Some builders in Packer perform helper tasks, such as running provisioners.

Packer has the following types of builders:

• Plugins: Plugins that you install have their own associated set of builders. For example, EC2, VMware, and VirtualBox use their own separate sets of builders.
• file: The file builder creates an artifact from a file.
• null: The null builder sets up an SSH connection and runs the provisioners.
• Custom: You can write new builders for new or existing platforms.
• Community-supported: The Packer community develops and maintains builders for several additional platforms.

Refer to the source block documentation to learn more about configuring builders in the Packer templating language.