use_linux_pathing = true still expects a Windows Path

[ejbolt]

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Overview of the Issue

I'm trying to leverage shell-local to do some preparation steps before a packer build in my builder, and I'm doing my testing from WSL. According to the example in the docs, I can run a bash script and seemingly use a Linux-style path. However, I receive the following error when I do so:

There was an error splitting your absolute path; expected to find a drive
following the format ':/' but did not: absolute path:
/home/<user>/test/scripts/test.sh

Reproduction Steps

Steps to reproduce this issue:

1. Create a simple packer file using the null source and builder
2. Use a small bash script that echoes a message.
3. Run packer validate . or packer build .

Packer version

Packer v1.10.1

Simplified Packer Template

source "null" "test-shell-local" {
  ssh_host = "127.0.0.1"
  ssh_username = "<user>"
  ssh_password = "<password>"
}

build {
  sources = ["sources.null.test-shell-local"]

  provisioner "shell-local" {
    # Making WSL-friendly
    environment_vars  = ["SHELLLOCALTEST=ShellTest3"]
    execute_command   = ["bash", "-c", "{{.Vars}} {{.Script}}"]
    use_linux_pathing = true
    script            = "./scripts/test.sh"
    }

}

Operating system and Environment details

OS: Windows 11 Pro
Windows Version: 23H2
Windows Build: 22631.3155
WSL2 version: 2.0.9.0
Ubuntu version: 22.04.04

Log Fragments and crash.log files

Error: Failed preparing provisioner-block "shell-local" ""
  on test.pkr.hcl line 10:

  (source code not available)
  on test.pkr.hcl line 10:

  (source code not available)
There was an error splitting your absolute path; expected to find a drive

following the format ':/' but did not: absolute path:
/home/<user>/test/scripts/test.sh

There was an error splitting your absolute path; expected to find a drive
2024/02/17 10:11:54 [INFO] (telemetry) Finalizing.
following the format ':/' but did not: absolute path:
/home/<user>/test/scripts/test.sh

[nywilken]

Hi @ejbolt thanks for reaching out. Looking at the provided template I see that the script path ("./scripts/test.sh") is expressed as a Linux path and not as a Windows path, which is looks to be the culprit here. This is not documented alongside the attribute use_linux_pathing but the provisioner expects the script path to be Windows path, which Packer then converts behind the scenes to a Linux path.

Have you tried using the Windows path for the script?

Looking at the example you see the use of an absolute Windows path. Looking at the SDK I see that the provisioner validates for a Windows absolute path then converts it to a Linux absolute path prior to executing.

Please try using a Windows path and let me know if it resolves your issue.

[ejbolt]

Hey @nywilken, thanks for the response.

As it turns out, I was being quite silly! When looking at the examples that mention WSL,, I thought I had to use those options when the script was inside the WSL guest. As it turns out, I can use it as I would on any Linux host:

provisioner "shell-local" {
    # Making WSL-friendly
    inline = ["git clone <anisble playbooks repo>"]
  }

I did, however, move my test script to the Windows filesystem, for sake of making sure I understand the use case:

provisioner "shell-local" {
    # Making WSL-friendly
    environment_vars  = ["SHELLLOCALTEST=ShellTest3"]
    execute_command   = ["bash", "-c", "{{.Vars}} {{.Script}}"]
    use_linux_pathing = true
    scripts            = ["C:/Users/<user>/scripts/test.sh"]
}

However, packer validate and packer build throw errors that the file does not exist, which is strange.

Is this perhaps only for WSL1?