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I am a beginner to Packer. I am using a template found at https://github.com/StefanScherer/packer-windows for Windows 10, and have been able to create a virtual machine in Hyper-V using the template and my own .ISO.

Now I want to take the next step and add some of my own PowerShell scripts to the process, but I notice this template has multiple references to 'floppy_files' at various parts of the template, yet they are the same script files repeated? Can someone explain why? Do I need to put my script in each floppy_files collection? I'd rather understand why before I do that even if it does happen to work. Template shown below for clarity.

{
  "builders": [
    {
      "accelerator": "kvm",
      "boot_wait": "6m",
      "communicator": "winrm",
      "cpus": "2",
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "floppy_files": [
        "{{user `autounattend`}}",
        "./floppy/WindowsPowershell.lnk",
        "./floppy/PinTo10.exe",
        "./scripts/fixnetwork.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-screensaver.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/enable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/microsoft-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/win-updates.ps1"
      ],
      "headless": true,
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `iso_url`}}",      
      "memory": "{{user `memory`}}",
      "output_directory": "windows_10-qemu",
      "qemuargs": [
        [
          "-drive",
          "file=windows_10-qemu/{{ .Name }},if=virtio,cache=writeback,discard=ignore,format=qcow2,index=1"
        ],
        [
          "-drive",
          "file={{ user `iso_url` }},media=cdrom,index=2"
        ],
        [
          "-drive",
          "file={{ user `virtio_win_iso` }},media=cdrom,index=3"
        ]
      ],
      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",
      "type": "qemu",
      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}",
      "winrm_password": "vagrant",
      "winrm_timeout": "{{user `winrm_timeout`}}",
      "winrm_username": "vagrant"
    },
    {
      "boot_wait": "6m",
      "communicator": "winrm",
      "configuration_version": "8.0",
      "cpus": "2",
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "floppy_files": [
        "{{user `autounattend`}}",
        "./floppy/WindowsPowershell.lnk",
        "./floppy/PinTo10.exe",
        "./scripts/fixnetwork.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-screensaver.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/enable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/microsoft-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/win-updates.ps1"
      ],
      "guest_additions_mode": "none",
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `iso_url`}}",
      "memory": "{{user `memory`}}",
      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",
      "switch_name": "{{user `switch_name`}}",
      "type": "hyperv-iso",
      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}",
      "winrm_password": "vagrant",
      "winrm_timeout": "{{user `winrm_timeout`}}",
      "winrm_username": "vagrant"
    },
    {
      "boot_command": "",
      "boot_wait": "6m",
      "communicator": "winrm",
      "cpus": 2,
      "disk_adapter_type": "lsisas1068",
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "disk_type_id": "{{user `disk_type_id`}}",
      "floppy_files": [
        "{{user `autounattend`}}",
        "./floppy/WindowsPowershell.lnk",
        "./floppy/PinTo10.exe",
        "./scripts/fixnetwork.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-screensaver.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/enable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/microsoft-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/win-updates.ps1"
      ],
      "guest_os_type": "windows9-64",
      "headless": "{{user `headless`}}",
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `iso_url`}}",
      "memory": "{{user `memory`}}",
      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",
      "type": "vmware-iso",
      "version": "{{user `vmx_version`}}",
      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}",
      "vmx_data": {
        "RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled": "false",
        "RemoteDisplay.vnc.port": "5900"
      },
      "vmx_remove_ethernet_interfaces": true,
      "vnc_port_max": 5980,
      "vnc_port_min": 5900,
      "winrm_password": "vagrant",
      "winrm_timeout": "{{user `winrm_timeout`}}",
      "winrm_username": "vagrant"
    },
    {
      "boot_command": "",
      "boot_wait": "6m",
      "communicator": "winrm",
      "cpus": 2,
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "floppy_files": [
        "{{user `autounattend`}}",
        "./floppy/WindowsPowershell.lnk",
        "./floppy/PinTo10.exe",
        "./scripts/fixnetwork.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-screensaver.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/enable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/microsoft-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/win-updates.ps1"
      ],
      "guest_additions_mode": "disable",
      "guest_os_type": "Windows10_64",
      "headless": "{{user `headless`}}",
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `iso_url`}}",
      "memory": "{{user `memory`}}",
      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",
      "type": "virtualbox-iso",
      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}",
      "winrm_password": "vagrant",
      "winrm_timeout": "{{user `winrm_timeout`}}",
      "winrm_username": "vagrant"
    },
    {
      "boot_command": "",
      "boot_wait": "6m",
      "communicator": "winrm",
      "cpus": 2,
      "disk_size": "{{user `disk_size`}}",
      "floppy_files": [
        "{{user `autounattend`}}",
        "./floppy/WindowsPowershell.lnk",
        "./floppy/PinTo10.exe",
        "./scripts/fixnetwork.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-screensaver.ps1",
        "./scripts/disable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/enable-winrm.ps1",
        "./scripts/microsoft-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/win-updates.ps1"
      ],
      "guest_os_type": "win-10",
      "iso_checksum": "{{user `iso_checksum`}}",
      "iso_url": "{{user `iso_url`}}",
      "memory": "{{user `memory`}}",
      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",
      "type": "parallels-iso",
      "parallels_tools_flavor": "win",
      "parallels_tools_mode": "disable",
      "prlctl": [
        [
          "set",
          "{{.Name}}",
          "--adaptive-hypervisor",
          "on"
        ],
        [
          "set",
          "{{.Name}}",
          "--efi-boot",
          "off"
        ]
      ],
      "vm_name": "{{user `vm_name`}}",
      "winrm_password": "vagrant",
      "winrm_timeout": "{{user `winrm_timeout`}}",
      "winrm_username": "vagrant"
    }
  ],
  "post-processors": [
    {
      "keep_input_artifact": false,
      "output": "windows_10_{{.Provider}}.box",
      "type": "vagrant",
      "vagrantfile_template": "vagrantfile-windows_10.template"
    }
  ],
  "provisioners": [
    {
      "execute_command": "{{ .Vars }} cmd /c \"{{ .Path }}\"",
      "remote_path": "/tmp/script.bat",
      "scripts": [
        "./scripts/enable-rdp.bat"
      ],
      "type": "windows-shell"
    },
    {
      "scripts": [
        "./scripts/vm-guest-tools.ps1",
        "./scripts/debloat-windows.ps1"
      ],
      "type": "powershell"
    },
    {
      "restart_timeout": "{{user `restart_timeout`}}",
      "type": "windows-restart"
    },
    {
      "scripts": [
        "./scripts/set-powerplan.ps1",
        "./scripts/docker/disable-windows-defender.ps1"
      ],
      "type": "powershell"
    },
    {
      "execute_command": "{{ .Vars }} cmd /c \"{{ .Path }}\"",
      "remote_path": "/tmp/script.bat",
      "scripts": [
        "./scripts/pin-powershell.bat",
        "./scripts/compile-dotnet-assemblies.bat",
        "./scripts/set-winrm-automatic.bat",
        "./scripts/uac-enable.bat",
        "./scripts/dis-updates.bat",
        "./scripts/compact.bat"
      ],
      "type": "windows-shell"
    }
  ],
  "variables": {
    "autounattend": "./answer_files/10/Autounattend.xml",
    "disk_size": "61440",
    "disk_type_id": "1",
    "memory": "2048",
    "headless": "false",
    "iso_checksum": "sha256:668fe1af70c2f7416328aee3a0bb066b12dc6bbd2576f40f812b95741e18bc3a",
    "iso_url": "https://software-download.microsoft.com/download/sg/17763.107.101029-1455.rs5_release_svc_refresh_CLIENT_LTSC_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso",
    "restart_timeout": "5m",
    "vhv_enable": "false",
    "virtio_win_iso": "~/virtio-win.iso",
    "vm_name": "windows_10_pos",
    "winrm_timeout": "6h",
    "vmx_version": "14"
  }
}
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You're looking at a list of different builders. there can be multiple builder entries, and they're indicated by a certain 'type' - see the field named type.

In the example from Stefan there are qemu, hyperv-iso, vmware-iso, virtualbox-iso and finally parallels-iso.

Each of them contains

  • a full set of parameters for building a VM "artifact"
  • the right parameters for that respective hypervisor.
  • the scripts to install the specific guest tools
  • the scripts for shared tasks they all need, i.e. the automatic update scripts.

An artifact here is an installed VM in the format of this specific hypervisor / an iso of that / something.

And so that's why you can have some duplication, and as such, that's why you probably only need to copy one builder section .

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  • Thank you Florian, I ended up figuring this out but forgot to come back here! Credit to you though, appreciated. In the end it turns out I just needed hyperv-iso. Now I have to figure out how to get the VM I've created with all my updates on it, back out to something bootable onto a new PC/server. :)
    – JamesMatson
    Apr 10, 2021 at 4:39

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