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@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ tags:
- vault
---
I've been [using Proxmox](/ditching-vsphere-for-proxmox/) in my [homelab](/homelab/) for a little while now, and I recently expanded the environment a bit with the addition of two HP Elite Mini 800 G9 computers. I figured it was time to start automating the process of building and maintaining my VM templates. I already had functional [Packer templates for VMware](https://github.com/jbowdre/packer-vsphere-templates) so I used that content as a starting point for the builds themselves. Once I had the builds working locally, I just had to explore how to automate them.
I've been [using Proxmox](/ditching-vsphere-for-proxmox/) in my [homelab](/homelab/) for a little while now, and I recently expanded the environment a bit with the addition of two HP Elite Mini 800 G9 computers. I figured it was time to start automating the process of building and maintaining my VM templates. I already had functional [Packer templates for VMware](https://github.com/jbowdre/packer-vsphere-templates) so I used that content as a starting point for the Proxmox builds themselves. Once I had the builds working locally, I just had to explore how to automate them.
This post will describe how I did it.
This post will describe how I did it. It will cover a lot of the implementation details but may gloss over some general setup steps; you'll likely need at least passing familiarity with [Packer](https://www.packer.io/) and [Vault](https://www.vaultproject.io/) to take this on.
### Component Overview
There are a lot of parts to this setup, so let's start by quickly running through those:
- a **Vault instance** running in a container in the lab to hold the secrets needed for the builds,
- a **Proxmox host** to serve the virtual infrastructure and provide compute for the new templates,
- a **Vault instance** running in a container in the lab to hold the secrets needed for the builds,
- an **on-premise self-hosted GitHub runner** to simplify connectivity between GitHub and my homelab,
- and a **private GitHub repo** to hold the code and tell the runner when it's time to get to work.
@ -39,10 +39,21 @@ GitHub [strongly recommends](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/hosting-your-own
I don't like the idea of randos running arbitrary code on my home infrastructure. So while I'm sharing my work publicly [in this repo](https://github.com/jbowdre/packer-proxmox-templates), the workflows there are disabled and there are no connected runners. I'm running my builds out of a private repo and recommend that you do the same.
{{% /notice %}}
### Vault
I use [Vault](https://github.com/hashicorp/vault) to hold the configuration details for the template builds - not just traditional secrets like usernames and passwords, but basically *every environment-specific setting* as well. This way the Packer templates can be used in different environments without having to change much (if *any*) of the committed code.
### Proxmox Setup
The only configuration I did on the Proxmox side of things was to [create a user account](https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/chapter-pveum.html#pveum_users) that Packer could use. I call it `packer` but don't set a password for it. Instead, I'll set up an [API token](https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/chapter-pveum.html#pveum_tokens) for that account, making sure to uncheck the "Privilege Separation" box so that the token will inherit the same permissions as the user itself.
I'm using [Vault in Docker](https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/vault), and I'm also making it available within my tailnet with [Tailscale Serve](/tailscale-serve-docker-compose-sidecar/) using the following `docker-compose.yaml`
![Creating an API token](proxmox-token.png)
To use the token, I'll need the ID (in the form `USERNAME@REALM!TOKENNAME`) and the UUID-looking secret, which is only displayed once so I be sure to record it in a safe place.
Speaking of privileges, the [Proxmox ISO integration documentation](https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/integrations/hashicorp/proxmox/latest/components/builder/iso) didn't offer any details on the minimum required permissions, and none of my attempts worked until I eventually assigned the Administrator role to the `packer` user.
Otherwise I'll just need to figure out the details like which network bridge, ISO storage, and VM storage the Packer-built VMs should use.
### Vault Configuration
I use [Vault](https://github.com/hashicorp/vault) to hold the configuration details for the template builds - not just traditional secrets like usernames and passwords, but basically *every environment-specific setting* as well. This approach lets others use my Packer code without having to change much (if any) of it; every value that I expect to change between environments is retrieved from Vault at run time.
Because this is just a homelab, I'm using [Vault in Docker](https://hub.docker.com/r/hashicorp/vault), and I'm making it available within my tailnet with [Tailscale Serve](/tailscale-serve-docker-compose-sidecar/) using the following `docker-compose.yaml`
```yaml
# torchlight! {"lineNumbers":true}
@ -121,7 +132,7 @@ vault secrets enable -path=packer kv-v2 # [tl! .cmd]
Success! Enabled the kv-v2 secrets engine at: packer/ # [tl! .nocopy]
```
And I define a [policy](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/docs/concepts/policies) which will grant the bearer read-only access to the data stored in the `packer` secrets as well as the ability to create and update its own tokens:
And I define a [policy](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/docs/concepts/policies) which will grant the bearer read-only access to the data stored in the `packer` secrets as well as the ability to create and update its own token:
```shell
cat << EOF | vault policy write packer -
@ -158,5 +169,25 @@ identity_policies []
policies ["packer"]
```
Within the `packer` secrets engine, I have two secrets which each have a number of subkeys.
Within the `packer` secrets engine, I have two secrets which each have a number of subkeys:
`proxmox` contains values related to the Proxmox environment:
| Key | Example value | Description |
|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `api_url` | `https://proxmox1.example.com:8006/api2/json` | URL to the Proxmox API |
| `insecure_connection` | `true` | set to `false` if your Proxmox host has a valid certificate |
| `iso_path` | `local:iso` | path for (existing) ISO storage |
| `iso_storage_pool` | `local` | pool for storing created/uploaded ISOs |
| `network_bridge` | `vmbr0` | bridge the VM's NIC will be attached to |
| `node` | `proxmox1` | node name where the VM will be built |
| `token_id` | `packer@pve!packer` | ID for an [API token](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/User_Management#pveum_tokens), in the form `USERNAME@REALM!TOKENNAME` |
| `token_secret` | `3fc69f[...]d2077eda` | secret key for the token |
| `vm_storage_pool` | `zfs-pool` | storage pool where the VM will be created |
`linux` holds values for the created VM template(s)
| Key | Example value | Description |
|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `bootloader_password` | `bootplease` | Grub bootloader password to set |
| `password_hash` | `$6$rounds=4096$NltiNLKi[...]a7Shax41` | hash of the build account's password (example generated with `mkpasswd -m sha512crypt -R 4096`) |
| `public_key` | `ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1[...]lXLUI5I40 admin@example.com` | SSH public key for the user |
| `username` | `admin` | build account username |

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