Skip to main content
affpapa.org
RU EN
skill CX Codex

windows-builder — Claude Code skill: build Windows images with Packer

A skill for building Windows images with Packer over WinRM and PowerShell provisioners. Useful for Windows AMIs, Azure images and VMware templates.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓ 
npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill windows-builder -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What windows-builder does

The skill collects Packer patterns for Windows: WinRM as the communicator, PowerShell provisioners for software and updates, cleanup of temp files and the Windows Update cache before the image is captured. Examples cover AWS (amazon-ebs) and Azure (azure-arm), though the patterns themselves are platform-agnostic.

You get ready HCL blocks plus scripts/setup-winrm.ps1, which enables WinRM, opens ports 5985 and 5986 and restarts the service. Separate sections handle Chocolatey, IIS and package installs via choco install, and a windows-restart provisioner waits out reboots.

Budget your time. Windows Updates alone can run 45 to 120 minutes, so the examples set the provisioner timeout = "2h" and winrm_timeout = "15m". A failed build can leave resources running, so check your cloud account after every bad run. Azure builds need client_id, client_secret, subscription_id and tenant_id.

What it helps with

  • get WinRM talking to a Windows instance so Packer can connect
  • build a Windows AMI from a current Amazon base image
  • produce an Azure image with software preinstalled
  • install Windows Updates during the build and survive the reboots
  • clear temp files and the update cache before capturing the image

Example prompts for the agent

  • Build a Windows AMI with Packer over WinRM, base image Windows Server 2022
  • Add Chrome and 7zip to the template with Chocolatey
  • Why does the build fail on a WinRM timeout and how do I fix it?

How to install windows-builder

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill windows-builder -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/windows-builder/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/windows-builder/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about windows-builder

How do I install windows-builder in Claude?

Run npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill windows-builder -a claude-code. The skill lands in ~/.claude/skills/windows-builder/SKILL.md.

What does windows-builder do?

It provides Packer templates for Windows images: WinRM setup, PowerShell provisioners for software and updates, and cleanup before the image is captured.

Why do Windows builds in Packer take so long?

Windows Updates eat most of the time — 45 to 120 minutes per build. A pre-patched base image and a 2h provisioner timeout help.

Similar skills

Everything for DevOps and infrastructure →
powershell-master JosiahSiegel A skill for PowerShell work: cmdlet syntax, PSGallery modules, CI/CD pipeline patterns and security. Useful whenever the agent writes a .ps1 or edits a pipeline. CX Codex +1 1,100installs it-ops-orchestrator VoltAgent Community Coordinates multi-domain IT operations by routing tasks across PowerShell, Azure, M365, and Active Directory subagents. 194installs powershell-security-hardening VoltAgent Community This subagent hardens PowerShell scripts, remoting, and Windows settings. Use it to review automation, credentials, logs, and CI/CD security gates. 194installs windows-hardening devops-skills An agent skill that hardens Windows Server to Microsoft security baselines and CIS benchmarks: account policy, Group Policy, Defender, SMB. CX Codex +1 388installs terraform-engineer https://github.com/Jeffallan Skill for writing and managing infrastructure with Terraform. Designs reusable modules, configures remote state, validates code, and safely applies changes across AWS, Azure, and GCP. CX Codex +1 5,400installs cloud-architect https://github.com/Jeffallan A skill for designing cloud architectures on AWS, Azure and GCP: redundant topology, migration plan, cost model and a disaster recovery strategy. CX Codex +1 4,700installs

From the same set16

new-terraform-provider A skill that walks the agent through bootstrapping a Terraform provider on the Plugin Framework, from directory layout to a passing build. CX Codex +1 3,900installs run-acceptance-tests Runs and investigates Terraform provider acceptance tests with the TestAcc prefix. Use it for missing environment variables, failed runs, or tests that pass when they should not. CX Codex +1 3,700installs provider-test-patterns A skill that guides acceptance testing for Terraform providers using terraform-plugin-testing and the Plugin Framework. CX Codex +1 3,300installs azure-verified-modules A skill that carries the Azure Verified Modules requirements, so your agent can write and review Terraform modules that pass AVM certification. CX Codex +1 3,300installs aws-ami-builder A skill that walks your agent through building Amazon Machine Images with Packer and the amazon-ebs builder — template, source AMI filters, build commands. CX Codex +1 3,200installs provider-docs Guides Terraform provider documentation workflows for the Terraform Registry. It coordinates schema descriptions, docs templates, and tfplugindocs generation. CX Codex +1 3,200installs push-to-registry Teaches AI assistants how to register Packer build details in HCP. Useful for tracking machine image lifecycles and linking artifacts directly to Terraform. CX Codex +1 3,000installs terraform-policy Creates and tests Terraform Policy files, and converts Sentinel rules into Terraform Policy. Use it when policy files or their test cases need changes. CX Codex +1 1,500installs

Project sponsors

Companies that keep this analytics open
Gold sponsor
Nutra.Club

Impressions, clicks and code copies — open statistics. We keep the numbers public for the same reason NeBlask itself is public. Become a sponsor