Build Base Boxes with Packer
Warning: Advanced Topic! If you're not familiar with Packer, you should read the Packer documentation first.
Packer must be properly installed in order to build a new base box using templates. Read the installation instruction here: Install Packer
Parallels Virtualization SDK
Packer requires the 'prlsdkapi' Python module from the Parallels Virtualization SDK to interact with Parallels Desktop and virtual machines. To use Parallels builders for Packer you need to download and install this SDK package: The Parallels Virtualization SDK for Mac
You can also install it with Homebrew package manager:
$ brew install parallels-virtualization-sdk
Packer Templates
Packer is shipped with parallels-iso
builder, which can be used to create
base Vagrant boxes for the Parallels provider.
There are two popular projects containing Packer templates for parallels-iso
builder:
Building a Box
This is an example how to build Vagrant box for Parallels provider:
$ packer build -only=parallels-iso template.json
Packer will done everything you need: it will download an ISO image, setup a VM,
install Parallels Tools, make basic provisioning, and it will export the VM image
to a *.box
file
You can read more about options which all supported template options here: "parallels-iso" builder documentation