Handling of pkr.hcl files, what is the best, most supported approach?
A customer asked: > What is the best approach for handling of Packer pkr.hcl files?
We use pkr.hcl files for our Packer templates, and recommend using the pkr.hcl format when possible. We have [build-helpers](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terraform-aws-ci/tree/master/modules/build-helpers) that are compatible with pkr.hcl files, that we use when deploying the Ref Arch, as part of a CI/CD pipeline, etc. We include [examples](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terraform-aws-service-catalog/blob/9d84ae9b7d6e23537c73511dc38bbd5906ad95d3/examples/for-learning-and-testing/services/asg-service/README.md#build-the-ami-using-packer) of how you can build AMIs with pkr.hcl files in our service catalog. [Example 2 - Tailscale subnet router](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terraform-aws-service-catalog/blob/bf4330b49ebd9b8de18b6a622238ea248c805830/examples/for-learning-and-testing/mgmt/tailscale-subnet-router/README.md) [Example 3 - our build_ecs_cluster_instance.sh script](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terraform-aws-service-catalog/blob/188d19e4c378da9adb2a05cdcf6e02ecf0fec034/examples/for-production/infrastructure-live/shared/us-west-2/_regional/amis/build_ecs_cluster_instance.sh) [Example 4 - our build_eks_cluster_instance.sh script](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/terraform-aws-service-catalog/blob/188d19e4c378da9adb2a05cdcf6e02ecf0fec034/examples/for-production/infrastructure-live/shared/us-west-2/_regional/amis/build_eks_cluster_instance.sh) In general, we attempt to use the pkr.hcl format when possible. See also: [How to build machine images using Packer templates from the Service Catalog](https://github.com/gruntwork-io/docs/blob/bbb73871cab1614f4544049ffab83a81e915566e/_docs-sources/reference/services/intro/deploy-new-infrastructure.md#how-to-build-machine-images-using-packer-templates-from-the-service-catalog)