Spec Reference¶

Spec files are JSON documents that define everything OSImager needs to build an OS image: the distribution, versions, architectures, installer files, boot commands, provisioners, and platform-specific configuration. They live in osimager/data/specs/<name>/spec.json inside the package, or in ~/.config/osimager/specs/<name>/spec.json to override the baseline.

Spec File Anatomy¶

Every top-level key that can appear in a spec JSON file:

Key	Type	Description
`provides`	object	What the spec produces: `dist`, `versions`, and `arches`
`include`	string or list	Inheritance chain -- references to other spec(s) to load first
`method`	string	`"merge"` (default) or `"replace"` -- controls how this spec's data merges with inherited data
`merge`	list	Key names within dict sections that should be deep-merged instead of overwritten
`platforms`	array	Which platforms this spec supports (e.g., `["virtualbox", "vmware", "vsphere"]`)
`locations`	array	Optional filter restricting which locations can use this spec
`install_notice`	array	Informational messages displayed before build
`defs`	object	Definition variables available for template substitution
`config`	object	Packer builder configuration (boot_command, shutdown_command, firmware, etc.)
`variables`	object	Packer user variables passed to the build
`evars`	object	Environment variables set during the build
`files`	array	Installer file generation recipes -- each entry has `sources` (array of file paths concatenated) and `dest` (output filename)
`pre_provisioners`	array	Packer provisioners that run before the main Ansible provisioner
`provisioners`	array	Main Packer provisioners (default: Ansible playbook)
`post_provisioners`	array	Packer provisioners that run after the main provisioner
`venv`	string	Python virtual environment name (for older distros needing legacy Ansible)
`required_files`	array	Files that must exist before build starts, with download instructions
`platform_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the target platform
`location_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the target location
`dist_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the distribution name
`version_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the version string
`arch_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the architecture
`firmware_specific`	array	Conditional overrides matched against the firmware type (bios/efi)

The `provides` Object¶

{
  "provides": {
    "dist": "rhel",
    "versions": [
      "8.[0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10]",
      "9.[0-7]",
      "10.[0-1]"
    ],
    "arches": [
      "x86_64",
      "aarch64"
    ]
  }
}

dist -- The distribution identifier used in build targets (e.g., rhel, alma, debian).
versions -- Array of version strings, supporting range expansion syntax (see Version Expansion Syntax).
arches -- Array of supported architectures. Common values: i386, x86_64, aarch64.

The `files` Array¶

Each entry in files concatenates multiple source files into a single output file used during installation:

{
  "files": [
    {
      "sources": [
        "rhel/kickstart_>>major<<.cfg",
        "rhel/ks-part.sh",
        "rhel/kickstart_end.cfg",
        "rhel/kickstart_post.cfg",
        "rhel/install_vmwtools.sh",
        "rhel/kickstart_end.cfg"
      ],
      "dest": "ks.cfg"
    }
  ]
}

Source paths are relative to the data package's files/ directory (osimager/data/files/, or a ~/.config/osimager/files/ override). Template substitution is applied to both source paths and file contents.

The `required_files` Array¶

Declares files that must be present before a build can start. If missing, OSImager prints download instructions and exits:

{
  "required_files": [
    {
      "file": "esxi/esx-tools-for-esxi-9.7.2-0.0.5911061.i386.vib",
      "description": "VMware Tools VIB required for ESXi 5.x/6.x installation",
      "url": "https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/downloads/details?downloadGroup=ESXI55U3",
      "location": "esxi/"
    }
  ]
}

Inheritance System¶

Specs use the include key to form inheritance chains. When a spec includes another, the parent spec is loaded first, then the child's data is merged on top. This allows distribution-specific specs to share common configuration from base specs.

Inheritance Chains¶

alma -----> rhel -----> linux -----> ssh
rocky ----> rhel -----> linux -----> ssh
centos ---> rhel -----> linux -----> ssh
oel ------> rhel -----> linux -----> ssh
debian ---> linux ----> ssh
ubuntu ---> linux ----> ssh
sles -----> linux ----> ssh
windows-server -> windows -> winrm
esxi        (standalone -- no includes)
sysvr4      (standalone -- no includes)

What Each Base Level Contributes¶

`ssh` -- SSH Communicator Base¶

The lowest-level base for all Linux/Unix specs. Configures the Packer SSH communicator:

config.communicator = "ssh"
config.ssh_username / config.ssh_password via Packer user variables
config.ssh_timeout = "25m"
Dynamic ssh_host and ssh_port using Python eval expressions that adapt to the platform type

`winrm` -- WinRM Communicator Base¶

The lowest-level base for all Windows specs. Configures the Packer WinRM communicator:

config.communicator = "winrm"
config.winrm_username / config.winrm_password via Packer user variables
config.winrm_timeout = "4h"
Dynamic winrm_host based on platform type

`linux` -- Linux Base¶

Inherits from ssh. Adds Linux-specific defaults:

defs.boot_disk_size = 16384 (16 GB)
variables.ssh-username and variables.ssh-password referencing the images/linux vault path

`windows` -- Windows Base¶

Inherits from winrm. Adds Windows-specific defaults:

defs.boot_disk_size = 131072 (128 GB)
variables.winrm-username and variables.winrm-password referencing the images/windows vault path

Merge Behavior¶

The method key controls how inherited data combines:

"merge" (default) -- Dictionaries are merged key-by-key (update()). Lists are appended to.
"replace" -- Lists are cleared before new items are added. Dictionaries still merge.

The merge key within dict sections (like config) lists keys that should be deep-merged rather than overwritten:

{
  "config": {
    "merge": ["vmx_data"],
    "vmx_data": {
      "scsi0.virtualdev": "pvscsi"
    }
  }
}

In this example, the vmx_data dictionary is merged into any existing vmx_data from the parent spec rather than replacing it entirely.

Load Order¶

The loading process in core.py follows this sequence:

Platform file is loaded first
Location file is loaded second
Spec file is loaded third, which recursively loads its include chain (deepest parent first)
At each level, after loading data, all six *_specific sections are evaluated against the current build context

The 6 Specific Section Types¶

Specific sections provide conditional overrides. Each entry in a specific section has a name field that is matched using re.fullmatch() with re.IGNORECASE against the current build value.

Section	Match Key	Matched Against	Example Pattern
`platform_specific`	`platform`	Target platform name	`"vsphere"`, `"proxmox"`
`location_specific`	`location`	Target location name	`"datacenter1"`, `"lab.*"`
`dist_specific`	`dist`	Distribution name	`"rhel"`, `"alma\\|rocky"`
`version_specific`	`version`	Full version string	`"9."`, `"[23]."`, `"8.10"`
`arch_specific`	`arch`	Architecture string	`"x86_64"`, `"i386"`
`firmware_specific`	`firmware`	Firmware type	`"efi"`, `"bios"`

Processing Order¶

The six specific types are always processed in this fixed order:

platform_specific
location_specific
dist_specific
version_specific
arch_specific
firmware_specific

Recursive Nesting¶

Any specific section can contain any other specific section type. This enables precise conditional logic. For example, a version_specific entry can contain platform_specific entries:

{
  "version_specific": [
    {
      "version": "7.*",
      "arches": ["x86_64"],
      "defs": {
        "spec_config": "specs/rhel/config_7.yml"
      },
      "platform_specific": [
        {
          "platform": "virtualbox",
          "config": {
            "guest_os_type": "RedHat7_64"
          }
        },
        {
          "platform": "vmware",
          "config": {
            "guest_os_type": "rhel7-64"
          }
        },
        {
          "platform": "vsphere",
          "config": {
            "guest_os_type": "rhel7_64Guest"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

And a platform_specific entry can contain version_specific entries:

{
  "platform_specific": [
    {
      "platform": "vsphere",
      "config": {
        "NestedHV": true
      },
      "version_specific": [
        {
          "version": "7.*",
          "defs": {
            "memory": 8192,
            "firmware": "efi"
          },
          "config": {
            "guest_os_type": "vmkernel7Guest"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Additional Override Keys¶

Within any specific entry, beyond the standard data keys (defs, config, files, etc.), these override keys can also appear:

arches -- Restricts the architectures this entry applies to (narrows the parent spec's provides.arches)
method -- Can be set to "replace" within a specific entry to clear lists before adding new items
venv -- Overrides the Python virtual environment for that match

Version Expansion Syntax¶

The provides.versions array supports compact range syntax to define many versions without listing each individually.

Range Expansion: `[start-end]`¶

Generates all integers from start to end (inclusive):

"versions": ["9.[0-7]"]

Expands to: 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7

Explicit List: `[a,b,c]`¶

Lists specific values separated by commas:

"versions": ["8.[0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10]"]

Expands to: 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, 8.10

Zero-Padded Range: `[01-03]`¶

Preserves leading zeros in the expansion:

"versions": ["12.[01-03]"]

Expands to: 12.01, 12.02, 12.03

Plain Versions¶

Versions without brackets are used as-is:

"versions": ["5.5U3", "6.0U2", "6.5", "7.0U3n", "8.0U2"]

Mixed Syntax Not Supported

Combined range and list syntax like [0-3,5-7] is not supported. Use separate entries instead:

"versions": ["8.[0-3]", "8.[5-7]"]

Template Substitution Patterns¶

OSImager uses a marker-based template substitution system. Markers in spec values are replaced at build time with computed values.

Syntax	Name	Description
`>>key<<`	Def substitution	Replaces marker with the value of `defs[key]`
`%>key<%`	Full-value substitution	Replaces the entire JSON value (including quotes) with `defs[key]` -- allows injecting non-string types
`+>key<+`	Basename substitution	Replaces marker with the basename (filename only) of `defs[key]`
`>key<`	DNS lookup	Replaces marker with the IP address from an nslookup of `defs[key]`
`\\|>path<\\|`	Vault secret	Replaces marker with a value retrieved from HashiCorp Vault (or local secrets file)
`#>expr<#`	Numeric eval	Evaluates a numeric expression using def values (e.g., `#>memory * 2<#`)
$>VAR<$	Environment variable	Replaces marker with the value of environment variable `VAR`
`1>path<1`	MD5 password hash	Retrieves a secret and returns its MD5 crypt hash
`5>path<5`	SHA-256 password hash	Retrieves a secret and returns its SHA-256 crypt hash
`6>path<6`	SHA-512 password hash	Retrieves a secret and returns its SHA-512 crypt hash
`E>expr<E`	Python eval	Evaluates a Python expression with access to defs -- used for conditional logic
`[>key<]`	List expansion	Expands a defs list value inline, inserting each item as a separate element

Common Def Variables¶

These variables are automatically available in defs during a build:

Variable	Source	Example Value
`platform`	Target platform	`vmware`
`platform_name`	Target platform	`vmware`
`platform_type`	Packer builder type	`vmware-iso`
`location`	Target location	`lab`
`location_name`	Target location	`lab`
`dist`	Distribution name	`rhel`
`version`	Full version string	`9.4`
`major`	Major version number	`9`
`minor`	Minor version number	`4`
`arch`	Architecture	`x86_64`
`name`	Instance name	`rhel-9.4-x86_64`
`fqdn`	Fully qualified domain name	`rhel-9.4-x86_64.lab.local`
`ip`	Resolved IP address	`192.168.1.100`
`base_path`	OSImager engine package directory	`.../site-packages/osimager`
`data_path`	Resolved data directory (bundled `osimager/data/`)	`.../site-packages/osimager/data`
`spec_dir`	Directory containing the active spec file	`.../osimager/data/specs/rhel`
`temp_dir`	Temporary build directory	`/tmp/tmpXXXXXX`
`user_dir`	User config directory	`~/.config/osimager`
`boot_disk_size`	Boot disk size in MB	`16384`
`dns1`, `dns2`, ...	DNS server addresses	`192.168.1.1`
`dns_search`	DNS search domains	`lab.local`
`ntp1`, `ntp2`, ...	NTP server addresses	`pool.ntp.org`
`subnet`	Network subnet from CIDR	`192.168.1.0`
`prefix`	Network prefix from CIDR	`24`
`netmask`	Calculated netmask	`255.255.255.0`
`gateway` / `gw`	Gateway address	`192.168.1.254`

Python Eval Expressions¶

The E>...<E syntax allows inline Python expressions with access to all defs as local variables. This is used extensively in spec files for conditional logic:

"ssh_host": "E>'>>ip<<' if '>>ip<<' != '' and '>>ip<<' != 'dhcp' else (None if '>>platform_type<<' in ['vsphere-iso', 'amazon-ebs', 'azure-arm', 'googlecompute'] else '{{ .Host }}')<E"

"guest_os_type": "RedHat6E>'_64' if '>>arch<<' == 'x86_64' else ''<E"

"deb_arch": "E>'amd64' if '>>arch<<' == 'x86_64' else ('arm64' if '>>arch<<' == 'aarch64' else '>>arch<<')<E"

Per-Distribution Details¶

RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`rhel`
Versions	2.1, 3.0, 4.8, 5.[1,9,10,11], 6.[9-10], 7.[5-9], 8.[0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10], 9.[0-7], 10.[0-1]
Architectures	i386, x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	rhel -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Kickstart
Platforms	virtualbox, vmware, vsphere, proxmox, qemu, xenserver, hyperv, azure, gcp, aws, none

Cloud support:

Versions 7.x: Azure (RHEL 7lvm-gen2), GCP (rhel-7), AWS (RHEL-7 HVM)
Versions 8.x: Azure (RHEL 8-lvm-gen2), GCP (rhel-8), AWS (RHEL-8 HVM)
Versions 9.x: Azure (RHEL 9-lvm-gen2), GCP (rhel-9), AWS (RHEL-9 HVM)
Versions 10.x: Azure (RHEL 10-lvm-gen2), GCP (rhel-10), AWS (RHEL-10 HVM)

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 2.x-3.x: i386 only, legacy SSH algorithms, Ansible 2.10 venv, IDE disks, custom configure_system pre-provisioner
Versions 4.x: i386/x86_64, legacy SSH, Ansible 2.10 venv, boot via ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg
Versions 5.x: i386/x86_64, legacy SSH, Ansible 2.10 venv, Python 2 interpreter
Versions 6.x: Ansible 2.10 venv, Python 2 interpreter, legacy SSH ciphers
Versions 7.x+: x86_64 only, EFI firmware, OEMDRV-based boot
Versions 8.x+: x86_64/aarch64, EFI firmware, Python 3 interpreter
Versions 9.x+: 4 CPU cores, 4096 MB memory, pvscsi on VMware

Key platform-specific patterns:

Proxmox: firmware set to empty string (uses Proxmox defaults), QEMU agent disabled for legacy versions
VirtualBox: version-specific guest_os_type (RedHat7_64, RedHat8_64, RedHat9_64)
VMware: version-specific guest_os_type, pvscsi for 9.x+, VMX data merging for legacy VMware tools ISOs
vSphere: version-specific guest_os_type (rhel7_64Guest, rhel8_64Guest, rhel9_64Guest)

AlmaLinux¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`alma`
Versions	8.[3-10], 9.[0-7], 10.[0-1]
Architectures	x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	alma -> rhel -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Kickstart (inherited from RHEL)
Platforms	Inherited from RHEL: virtualbox, vmware, vsphere, proxmox, qemu, xenserver, hyperv, azure, gcp, aws, none

Cloud support:

Versions 8.x: Azure (almalinux 8-gen2), GCP (almalinux-8), AWS (AlmaLinux OS 8)
Versions 9.x: Azure (almalinux 9-gen2), GCP (almalinux-9), AWS (AlmaLinux OS 9)
Versions 10.x: Azure (almalinux 10-gen2), GCP (almalinux-10), AWS (AlmaLinux OS 10)

Uses merge method to overlay AlmaLinux-specific ISO URLs and cloud image references on top of the full RHEL configuration. Version 8.3 is restricted to x86_64 only.

Rocky Linux¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`rocky`
Versions	8.[3-9], 9.[0-7], 10.[0-1]
Architectures	x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	rocky -> rhel -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Kickstart (inherited from RHEL)
Platforms	Inherited from RHEL

Cloud support:

Versions 8.x: Azure (rockylinux-x86_64 8-lvm), GCP (rocky-linux-8, rocky-linux-cloud), AWS (Rocky-8-EC2-Base)
Versions 9.x: Azure (rockylinux-x86_64 9-lvm), GCP (rocky-linux-9, rocky-linux-cloud), AWS (Rocky-9-EC2-Base)
Versions 10.x: Azure (rockylinux-x86_64 10-lvm), GCP (rocky-linux-10, rocky-linux-cloud), AWS (Rocky-10-EC2-Base)

Version 8.x uses a different ISO URL pattern (-dvd1.iso suffix) compared to 9.x/10.x (-dvd.iso).

CentOS¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`centos`
Versions	5.[0-10], 6.[0-10], 7.[0-9], 8.[0-5]
Architectures	i386, x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	centos -> rhel -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Kickstart (inherited from RHEL)
Platforms	Inherited from RHEL

Cloud support:

Versions 7.x: Azure (CentOS-LVM 7-lvm-gen2), GCP (centos-7, centos-cloud), AWS (CentOS Linux 7)
Versions 8.x: Azure (CentOS-LVM 8-lvm-gen2), GCP (centos-stream-8, centos-cloud), AWS (CentOS Stream 8)

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 5.x: i386/x86_64, ISOs from vault.centos.org
Versions 6.x: i386/x86_64, ISOs from vault.centos.org
Versions 7.x: x86_64 only, each minor version has a unique ISO naming convention with build date suffixes (e.g., 7.0.1406, 7.9.2009)
Versions 8.x: x86_64/aarch64, ISOs from vault.centos.org with build date suffixes
vSphere guest OS types: centos5Guest, centos6Guest, centos7_64Guest, centos8_64Guest

Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL)¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`oel`
Versions	5.[0-10], 6.[0-10], 7.[0-9], 8.[0-10], 9.[0-7], 10.[0-1]
Architectures	i386, x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	oel -> rhel -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Kickstart (inherited from RHEL)
Platforms	Inherited from RHEL

Cloud support:

Versions 7.x: Azure (Oracle-Linux ol79-lvm-gen2), GCP (oracle-linux-7), AWS (OL7 HVM)
Versions 8.x: Azure (Oracle-Linux ol89-lvm-gen2), GCP (oracle-linux-8), AWS (OL8 HVM)
Versions 9.x: Azure (Oracle-Linux ol9-lvm-gen2), GCP (oracle-linux-9), AWS (OL9 HVM)
Versions 10.x: Azure (Oracle-Linux ol10-lvm-gen2), GCP (oracle-linux-10), AWS (OL10 HVM)

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 5.x/6.x: i386/x86_64, ISOs from yum.oracle.com using u>>minor<< URL pattern
Version 6.x: custom kickstart file (oel/kickstart_6.cfg) with OEL-specific post-install
Versions 7.x: x86_64 only, OEL-specific vSphere guest types (oracleLinux7_64Guest)
Versions 8.x+: x86_64/aarch64
VMware guest types use oraclelinux-64 (legacy) or oraclelinux8-64 / oraclelinux9-64 (modern)

Debian¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`debian`
Versions	8.[0-11], 9.[0-13], 10.[0-13], 11.[0-11], 12.[0-13], 13.[0-3]
Architectures	i386, x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	debian -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Preseed
Platforms	virtualbox, vmware, vsphere, proxmox, qemu, xenserver, hyperv, azure, gcp, aws, none

Cloud support:

Versions 11.x: Azure (debian-11 11-gen2), GCP (debian-11, debian-cloud), AWS (debian-11-amd64)
Versions 12.x: Azure (debian-12 12-gen2), GCP (debian-12, debian-cloud), AWS (debian-12-amd64)

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 8.x: i386/x86_64, uses method: "replace" for files with a Debian 8-specific preseed (debian-8-preseed.cfg), custom boot command that mounts and runs debian.fix
Versions 9.x: i386/x86_64, uses method: "replace" for files with debian_pre10.seed
Versions 10.x+: x86_64/aarch64, uses the standard debian.seed preseed file
Architecture mapping: deb_arch def converts x86_64 to amd64 and aarch64 to arm64 using a Python eval expression
ISO URLs reference cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/archive/
Boot disk size: 32768 MB (32 GB), overriding the Linux base of 16 GB

Boot process: Uses a multi-step boot command that boots the installer, switches to a virtual console to mount the CD media, then switches back to continue the preseed-driven installation.

Ubuntu¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`ubuntu`
Versions	18.04, 20.04, 22.04, 24.04
Architectures	x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	ubuntu -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	Preseed (18.04), Cloud-init/Autoinstall (20.04+)
Platforms	virtualbox, vmware, vsphere, proxmox, qemu, xenserver, hyperv, azure, gcp, aws, none

Cloud support:

20.04: Azure (ubuntu-server-focal 20_04-lts-gen2), GCP (ubuntu-2004-lts), AWS (ubuntu-focal-20.04)
22.04: Azure (ubuntu-server-jammy 22_04-lts-gen2), GCP (ubuntu-2204-lts), AWS (ubuntu-jammy-22.04)
24.04: Azure (ubuntu-24_04-lts server), GCP (ubuntu-2404-lts-amd64), AWS (ubuntu-noble-24.04)

Key version-specific patterns:

Version 18.04: x86_64 only, uses legacy preseed installer (ubuntu.seed), method: "replace" for files, cd_label is "media", different boot command using /install/vmlinuz
Versions 20.04+: Uses cloud-init autoinstall (user-data + meta-data), cd_label is "cidata", boot command edits GRUB to add autoinstall parameter
Version 20.04: Different boot command using /casper/vmlinuz directly
Versions 22.04/24.04: Use the default GRUB-edit boot command
Architecture mapping: same deb_arch conversion as Debian
Boot disk size: 32768 MB (32 GB)

SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server)¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`sles`
Versions	12.[1-5], 15.[0-7], 16.[0-0]
Architectures	x86_64, aarch64
Include chain	sles -> linux -> ssh
Installer type	AutoYaST (XML)
Platforms	virtualbox, vmware, vsphere, proxmox, qemu, xenserver, hyperv, azure, gcp, aws, none

Cloud support:

Versions 15.x: Azure (sles-15-spN gen2), GCP (sles-15, suse-cloud), AWS (suse-sles-15-spN)

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 12.x: x86_64 only, Python 2 interpreter, uses autoinst_12.xml, ISOs from local file paths
Versions 15.x: x86_64/aarch64, Python 3 interpreter, uses autoinst_15.xml, cloud image refs with SP (service pack) number in names
Versions 16.x: uses autoinst_16.xml
Version 15.0: Special ISO URL pattern without SP suffix
Boot command uses textmode=1 and autoyast=device://OEMDRV/autoinst.xml
Boot disk size: 32768 MB (32 GB)
Timezone default: America/Chicago

Platform-specific guest OS types:

VirtualBox: OpenSUSE_64 (all versions)
VMware: sles12-64, sles15-64, sles16-64
vSphere: sles12_64Guest, sles15_64Guest, sles16_64Guest

ESXi (VMware ESXi)¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`esxi`
Versions	5.5U3, 6.0U2, 6.5, 7.0U3n, 8.0U2
Architectures	x86_64
Include chain	None (standalone)
Installer type	Kickstart
Platforms	vmware, vsphere

Key version-specific patterns:

Versions 5.x, 6.0, 6.5: Require a VMware Tools VIB file (required_files), included on the CD alongside the kickstart
Versions 7.x: No VIB required, 8192 MB memory, EFI firmware on vSphere
Versions 8.x: No VIB required, 12288 MB memory, 4 CPU cores, EFI firmware on vSphere
Default firmware is bios, overridden per-version on vSphere

firmware_specific usage: ESXi uses firmware_specific to change the boot command for EFI builds (shorter boot_wait, no initial Enter keypress).

Platform-specific patterns:

vSphere: Enables NestedHV (nested virtualization), version-specific guest types (vmkernel5Guest through vmkernel8Guest), kickstart includes kickstart_post.cfg for post-install on virtual hardware, lsilogic-sas controller for older versions
VMware Workstation/Fusion: Sets vmx_data for pvscsi, vmxnet3, VNC, nested HV; older versions override with lsisas1068 SCSI controller

SysVR4 (System V Release 4)¶

Property	Value
Dist name	`sysvr4`
Versions	2.1
Architectures	i386
Include chain	None (standalone)
Installer type	Manual (with `configure_system` script)
Platforms	virtualbox, vmware, proxmox

The most minimal spec in the system. Uses a configure_system script uploaded via pre_provisioners and an Ansible playbook referenced via `>>spec_dir<

Spec Reference¶

Spec File Anatomy¶

The provides Object¶

The files Array¶

The required_files Array¶

Inheritance System¶

Inheritance Chains¶

What Each Base Level Contributes¶

ssh -- SSH Communicator Base¶

winrm -- WinRM Communicator Base¶

linux -- Linux Base¶

windows -- Windows Base¶

Merge Behavior¶

Load Order¶

The 6 Specific Section Types¶

Processing Order¶

Recursive Nesting¶

Additional Override Keys¶

Version Expansion Syntax¶

Range Expansion: [start-end]¶

Explicit List: [a,b,c]¶

Zero-Padded Range: [01-03]¶

Plain Versions¶

Template Substitution Patterns¶

Common Def Variables¶

Python Eval Expressions¶

Per-Distribution Details¶

RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)¶

AlmaLinux¶

Rocky Linux¶

CentOS¶

Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL)¶

Debian¶

Ubuntu¶

SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server)¶

ESXi (VMware ESXi)¶

SysVR4 (System V Release 4)¶

The `provides` Object¶

The `files` Array¶

The `required_files` Array¶

`ssh` -- SSH Communicator Base¶

`winrm` -- WinRM Communicator Base¶

`linux` -- Linux Base¶

`windows` -- Windows Base¶

Range Expansion: `[start-end]`¶

Explicit List: `[a,b,c]`¶

Zero-Padded Range: `[01-03]`¶