github.com/aspring/packer@v0.8.1-0.20150629211158-9db281ac0f89/website/source/docs/extend/plugins.html.markdown (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "docs" 3 page_title: "Packer Plugins - Extend Packer" 4 description: |- 5 Packer Plugins allow new functionality to be added to Packer without modifying the core source code. Packer plugins are able to add new commands, builders, provisioners, hooks, and more. In fact, much of Packer itself is implemented by writing plugins that are simply distributed with Packer. For example, all the commands, builders, provisioners, and more that ship with Packer are implemented as Plugins that are simply hardcoded to load with Packer. 6 --- 7 8 # Packer Plugins 9 10 Packer Plugins allow new functionality to be added to Packer without 11 modifying the core source code. Packer plugins are able to add new 12 commands, builders, provisioners, hooks, and more. In fact, much of Packer 13 itself is implemented by writing plugins that are simply distributed with 14 Packer. For example, all the commands, builders, provisioners, and more 15 that ship with Packer are implemented as Plugins that are simply hardcoded 16 to load with Packer. 17 18 This page will cover how to install and use plugins. If you're interested 19 in developing plugins, the documentation for that is available the 20 [developing plugins](/docs/extend/developing-plugins.html) page. 21 22 Because Packer is so young, there is no official listing of available 23 Packer plugins. Plugins are best found via Google. Typically, searching 24 "packer plugin _x_" will find what you're looking for if it exists. As 25 Packer gets older, an official plugin directory is planned. 26 27 ## How Plugins Work 28 29 Packer plugins are completely separate, standalone applications that the 30 core of Packer starts and communicates with. 31 32 These plugin applications aren't meant to be run manually. Instead, Packer core executes 33 these plugin applications in a certain way and communicates with them. 34 For example, the VMware builder is actually a standalone binary named 35 `packer-builder-vmware`. The next time you run a Packer build, look at 36 your process list and you should see a handful of `packer-` prefixed 37 applications running. 38 39 ## Installing Plugins 40 41 The easiest way to install a plugin is to name it correctly, then place 42 it in the proper directory. To name a plugin correctly, make sure the 43 binary is named `packer-TYPE-NAME`. For example, `packer-builder-amazon-ebs` 44 for a "builder" type plugin named "amazon-ebs". Valid types for plugins 45 are down this page more. 46 47 Once the plugin is named properly, Packer automatically discovers plugins 48 in the following directories in the given order. If a conflicting plugin is 49 found later, it will take precedence over one found earlier. 50 51 1. The directory where `packer` is, or the executable directory. 52 53 2. `~/.packer.d/plugins` on Unix systems or `%APPDATA%/packer.d/plugins` on 54 Windows. 55 56 3. The current working directory. 57 58 The valid types for plugins are: 59 60 * `builder` - Plugins responsible for building images for a specific platform. 61 62 * `command` - A CLI sub-command for `packer`. 63 64 * `post-processor` - A post-processor responsible for taking an artifact 65 from a builder and turning it into something else. 66 67 * `provisioner` - A provisioner to install software on images created by 68 a builder.