Packer: Build 'amazon-ebs' errored: Error launching source instance: No default VPC for this user (VPCIdNotSpecified)

[samijuvonen]

Using Packer v0.7.5.

I'm trying to create an image in a specific AWS VPC. Looks like packer is not using that, but trying to use the default VPC (which I don't have). Packer is connecting to my account, I see the security group getting created.

Is this a packer or PEBKAC bug?

I have a config like this:
{
"variables": {
"aws_access_key": "",
"aws_secret_key": ""
},
"builders": [{
"type": "amazon-ebs",
"access_key": "{{user aws_access_key}}",
"secret_key": "{{user aws_secret_key}}",
"region": "us-west-2",
"source_ami": "ami-e192xxxx",
"instance_type": "t2.micro",
"ssh_username": "centos",
"ami_name": "test-{{timestamp}}",
"vpc_id": "vpc-29xxxxxx"
}]

The VPC exists.

==> amazon-ebs: Inspecting the source AMI...
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepSourceAMIInfo'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Creating temporary keypair: packer 5513479b-f5c6-032e-bca1-977a58fcb6e5
amazon-ebs: Saving key for debug purposes: ec2_amazon-ebs.pem
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepKeyPair'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Creating temporary security group for this instance...
==> amazon-ebs: Authorizing SSH access on the temporary security group...
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepSecurityGroup'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Launching a source AWS instance...
==> amazon-ebs: Error launching source instance: No default VPC for this user (VPCIdNotSpecified)
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing before cleanup of step 'StepSecurityGroup'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary security group...
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing before cleanup of step 'StepKeyPair'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Deleting temporary keypair...
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing before cleanup of step 'StepSourceAMIInfo'. Press enter to continue.
Build 'amazon-ebs' errored: Error launching source instance: No default VPC for this user (VPCIdNotSpecified)

[samijuvonen]

Solution: you have to specify a subnet id as well. Maybe add this to documentation?

[thomasbiddle]

Just for those Googling around; this will happen if you've deleted your default VPC as well.

[ophintor]

Not necessarily. If you define your subnet and vpc id (even with filters), it works without default VPC (I deleted mine a while ago). This works for me:

  "builders": [
    {
      "type": "amazon-ebs",
      "region": "eu-west-2",
      "source_ami": "{{user `amzn_linux2_ami`}}",
      "instance_type": "t2.medium",
      "ssh_username": "ec2-user",
      "ami_name": "<edited>,
      "ami_users": ["<edited>","<edited>"],
      "vpc_filter": {
        "filters": {
          "tag:Name": "My App VPC",
          "isDefault": "false"
        }
      },
      "subnet_filter": {
        "filters": {
          "tag:Network Type": "Public"
        },
        "random": true
      }
    }
  ],

[Binternet]

@ophintor i tried using vpc_filter and got this:

amazon-ebs output will be in this color.

1 error(s) occurred:

* unknown configuration key: "vpc_filter"

My solution was just to make sure I have a default VPC, that solved it for me.

[rickard-von-essen]

@Binternet then you have a really old version of Packer, consider upgrading.

[dasgoll]

@ophintor Thank you man! Worked like a charm.

[markus7811]

Hi, sorry does not work at all ... don't know why:

```=> amazon-ebs: Prevalidating AMI Name: xxxxx
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepPreValidate'. Press enter to continue.
amazon-ebs: Found Image ID: ami-00aa4671cbf840d82
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepSourceAMIInfo'. Press enter to continue.
amazon-ebs: Found VPC ID: vpc-abcdef
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepNetworkInfo'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Creating temporary keypair: packer_abcdef
amazon-ebs: Saving key for debug purposes: ec2_amazon-ebs.pem
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepKeyPair'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Creating temporary security group for this instance: packer_abcdef
==> amazon-ebs: Authorizing access to port 22 from [1.2.3.4/5] in the temporary security groups...
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepSecurityGroup'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Pausing after run of step 'StepCleanupVolumes'. Press enter to continue.
==> amazon-ebs: Launching a source AWS instance...
==> amazon-ebs: Adding tags to source instance
amazon-ebs: Adding tag: "Name": "Packer Builder"
==> amazon-ebs: Error launching source instance: VPCIdNotSpecified: No default VPC for this user
==> amazon-ebs: status code: 400, request id: abcdefg

Ok, turned out my subnet_filter was wrong

"subnet_filter": {
"most_free": true,
"random": false
},

this is not working, but

"subnet_filter": {
"filters": {
"state": "available"
},
"most_free": true,
"random": true
},
```
is

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