Packer
Packer is an open-source tool created by HashiCorp for creating identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single source configuration. It automates the process of building machine images, such as virtual machine images, container images, and cloud images, by using a declarative template to define the build steps. This enables consistent, repeatable infrastructure deployment across environments like AWS, Azure, VMware, and Docker.
Developers should learn Packer when they need to automate and standardize the creation of machine images for infrastructure as code (IaC) workflows, especially in DevOps and cloud-native environments. It is particularly useful for building golden images that ensure consistency across development, testing, and production, reducing configuration drift and speeding up deployments. Use cases include creating base images for cloud instances, virtual machines, or containers that can be version-controlled and shared across teams.