The ISO repack (extract + xorriso, ~minutes) ran on every deploy. Cache it
per VM dir: store an inputs key (base ISO size+mtime + rendered
autounattend.xml + post-install.ps1) in a `.iso.inputs` sidecar next to
install-noprompt.iso. Step 4 skips the repack when the patched ISO and a
matching sidecar already exist, and re-patches automatically when the base
ISO or either answer file changes.
A headless CI build VM has no USB devices — input is the VMware PS/2
keyboard/mouse + SVGA console. Drop the usb/ehci/usb_xhci controllers from
the generated VMX (one explicit `usb.present = "FALSE"`), trimming device
enumeration at boot. Step 9's usb* line stripping becomes a harmless no-op.
New `ci template deploy-win` builds the Windows Server 2025 template VM on
the Linux host, mirroring the legacy Deploy-WinBuild2025.ps1 ten-step flow
in Python:
- winimage/uup.py: resolve the newest (or pinned) WS2025 build via the
uupdump API and build a cached, MS-signed ISO via the uup converter.
- winimage/autounattend.py + assets/: render autounattend.xml and the
guest post-install.ps1 (ported from the PS heredoc; VMware Tools now
mounted as a 2nd CD, scanned at first logon).
- winimage/iso_patch.py: xorriso repack injecting the answer files at the
ISO root and swapping the EFI boot image to efisys_noprompt.bin
(no "press any key" prompt — essential for an unattended headless install).
- commands/template.py: the deploy-win command + _winbuild_vmx_lines
(the 82-key VMX), _remove_vmx_lines, _wait_install_flag, _vmrun_soft_stop.
Acquire → patch → VMDK → VMX → install → flag wait → strip media +
NIC e1000e→vmxnet3 → verify IP → cold snapshot.
Deterministic by build (--build), with --win-iso to bypass UUP. Tests
mirror the prepare-win mocking style; total coverage 93%.
Simone