Differece between packer & Azure image builder

Question

Please clarify following 2 questions:

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/build-image-with-packer https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1427568/capturing-image-and-installing-softwares-on-vm-and Please clarify difference between packer and image builder I was told to use packager FYI: we frequently create custom images and use it from virtual machies
2. I have VM scaleset using image 1.0.8 version image from build agent gallery, so I would like to know highlevel steps to have 1.0.9 with new softwares , ( using packer )
3. & suppose I wish to install java software and uninstall some software, in that case, how do I add and what exactly need to add in the below powershell provisioner?

Answer 1

@Varma
Packer and Azure Image Builder are both tools that can be used to create custom images.

Packer is a tool developed by HashiCorp, while Azure Image Builder is a service provided by Microsoft that is built on top of Packer. Both tools have similar capabilities, such as the ability to create images using JSON templates, and both can be used to automate image creation.

However, there are some differences between the two tools. For example, Azure Image Builder is a managed service, which means that it is easier to use and requires less setup than Packer. Additionally, Azure Image Builder has built-in integration with Azure DevOps, which makes it easy to automate image creation as part of a CI/CD pipeline. Azure Image Builder is built on Packer, so you can even use your existing Packer shell provisioner scripts with it. To get started with Azure Image Builder, see Create a Windows VM with Azure Image Builder.

On the other hand, Packer is more flexible than Azure Image Builder, in the sense it can be used to create images for a wider range of platforms, not just Azure.

Ultimately, the choice between Packer and Azure Image Builder depends on your specific needs and requirements. It is possible to use Packer with Azure DevOps. Since Packer is a third party tool(Packer is a tool developed by HashiCorp), I would recommend reaching out to Packer support/forums for further questions related to Packer. https://discuss.hashicorp.com/c/packer/23