azure-image-builder
Build Azure managed images and Azure Compute Gallery images with Packer. Use when creating custom images for Azure VMs.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills --skill azure-image-builder- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads azure-image-builder automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Azure Image Builder
Build Azure managed images and Azure Compute Gallery images using Packer's azure-arm builder.
Reference: Azure ARM Builder
Note: Building Azure images incurs costs (compute, storage, data transfer). Builds typically take 15-45 minutes depending on provisioning and OS.
Basic Managed Image
packer {
required_plugins {
azure = {
source = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
version = "~> 2.0"
}
}
}
variable "client_id" {
type = string
sensitive = true
}
variable "client_secret" {
type = string
sensitive = true
}
variable "subscription_id" {
type = string
}
variable "tenant_id" {
type = string
}
variable "resource_group" {
type = string
default = "packer-images-rg"
}
locals {
timestamp = regex_replace(timestamp(), "[- TZ:]", "")
}
source "azure-arm" "ubuntu" {
client_id = var.client_id
client_secret = var.client_secret
subscription_id = var.subscription_id
tenant_id = var.tenant_id
managed_image_resource_group_name = var.resource_group
managed_image_name = "my-app-${local.timestamp}"
os_type = "Linux"
image_publisher = "Canonical"
image_offer = "0001-com-ubuntu-server-jammy"
image_sku = "22_04-lts-gen2"
location = "East US"
vm_size = "Standard_B2s"
azure_tags = {
Name = "my-app"
BuildDate = local.timestamp
}
}
build {
sources = ["source.azure-arm.ubuntu"]
provisioner "shell" {
inline = [
"sudo apt-get update",
"sudo apt-get upgrade -y",
]
}
}
Azure Compute Gallery
source "azure-arm" "ubuntu" {
client_id = var.client_id
client_secret = var.client_secret
subscription_id = var.subscription_id
tenant_id = var.tenant_id
os_type = "Linux"
image_publisher = "Canonical"
image_offer = "0001-com-ubuntu-server-jammy"
image_sku = "22_04-lts-gen2"
location = "East US"
vm_size = "Standard_B2s"
shared_image_gallery_destination {
resource_group = "gallery-rg"
gallery_name = "myImageGallery"
image_name = "ubuntu-webapp"
image_version = "1.0.${formatdate("YYYYMMDD", timestamp())}"
replication_regions = ["East US", "West US 2"]
storage_account_type = "Standard_LRS"
}
}
Authentication
Service Principal
# Create service principal
az ad sp create-for-rbac \
--name "packer-sp" \
--role Contributor \
--scopes /subscriptions/<subscription-id>
# Set environment variables
export ARM_CLIENT_ID="<client-id>"
export ARM_CLIENT_SECRET="<client-secret>"
export ARM_SUBSCRIPTION_ID="<subscription-id>"
export ARM_TENANT_ID="<tenant-id>"
Managed Identity
source "azure-arm" "ubuntu" {
use_azure_cli_auth = true
subscription_id = var.subscription_id
# ... rest of configuration
}
Build Commands
# Set authentication
export ARM_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export ARM_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"
export ARM_SUBSCRIPTION_ID="your-subscription-id"
export ARM_TENANT_ID="your-tenant-id"
# Initialize plugins
packer init .
# Validate template
packer validate .
# Build image
packer build .
Common Issues
Authentication Failed
- Verify service principal credentials
- Ensure Contributor role on resource group
- Check subscription and tenant IDs
Compute Gallery Version Exists
- Image versions are immutable
- Use unique version numbers with date/build number
- Cannot overwrite existing versions
Timeout During Provisioning
- Check network connectivity from build VM
- Verify NSG rules allow required traffic
- Increase timeout if needed
References
FAQ
What does the azure-image-builder skill do?
Build Azure managed images and Azure Compute Gallery images with Packer. Use when creating custom images for Azure VMs.
How do I install azure-image-builder?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills --skill azure-image-builder in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/azure-image-builder/ (personal) or .claude/skills/azure-image-builder/ (project).
Which AI agents can use azure-image-builder?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is azure-image-builder safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains azure-image-builder?
It is published by hashicorp in hashicorp/agent-skills, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 2,764 recorded installs.
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