====== EC2: Create AMI Templates ======

**General Information**

Custom Amazon Machine Images (VM Templates).  

**Checklist**
  * AWS Account

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====== General AMI Creation Instructions ======

===== Launch a normal EC2 instance =====

  * **Choose AMI**: **This matters**
    * Select the OS that you want the image to be modeled after
  * Instance type:
    * This does not matter for the template, as the instance type is prompted every time.
  * Configure Instance:
    * Launch somewhere you get login and customize the instance for template creation.
  * **Add Storage**: **This matters**
    * Select the disk you want to be selected by default for the template.
    * This is also prompted every time, but will retain the template selections by default.
  * Add Tags:
    * This does not matter and is prompted every time.
  * Configure Security Group:
    * This does not matter and is prompted every time.
  * **Review**: **This matters**
    * Select the SSH Key when launching that will end up baked into the template.
  * Launch Instance, Login, Customize (install/configure)

===== Create Image =====
  * In AWS Console, select the instance
  * Click "Actions" > "Image" > "Create Image"
    * Type an Image name
    * Type an Image description
    * Click "Create Image"

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===== Customization Examples =====

Customization examples that could be baked into an EC2 instance template.

\\
Create an auto updating instance
<code bash>
#!/bin/bash

# Update right after launch
yum -y update

# Install bash-completion and yum-cron
yum -y install bash-completion vim yum-cron

# Set to auto update daily
sed -i 's/apply_updates = no/apply_updates = yes/' /etc/yum/yum-cron.conf

# Reboot instance
reboot
</code>

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