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---
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description: |
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Communicators are remote-access programs Packer uses to perform actions, such as upload files and execute scripts, on the machines Packer creates.
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page_title: Communicators overview
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---
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2025-01-29 16:14:35 -08:00
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# Communicators overview
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Communicators are the mechanism Packer uses to upload files, execute scripts,
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etc. with the machine being created.
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Communicators are configured within the
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[builder](/packer/docs/templates/legacy_json_templates/builders) section. Packer currently supports
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three kinds of communicators:
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- `none`: Packer does not use a communicator and cannot use most provisioners.
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- [`ssh`](/packer/docs/communicators/ssh): Packer establishes an SSH connection to the machine. This is usually the default.
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- [`winrm`](/packer/docs/communicators/winrm): Packer establishes a WinRM connection.
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In addition to the above, some builders have custom communicators they can use.
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For example, the Docker builder has a "docker" communicator that uses
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`docker exec` and `docker cp` to execute scripts and copy files.
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For more details on how to use each communicator, click the links above to be
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taken to each communicator's page.
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