diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index b1df04f..3ee1682 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -325,6 +325,9 @@ jobs:
       hypervisor:
         description: hypervisor to validate
         type: string
+      version:
+        description: version of kali to validate
+        type: string
     docker:
       - image: 'hashicorp/packer:light'
     steps:
@@ -336,7 +339,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: packer version
       - packer-lint:
           template-file: kali-template.json
-          vars-file: variables.json
+          vars-file: "variables<< parameters.version>>.json"
           only-builder: '<< parameters.hypervisor >>'
 
 
@@ -449,6 +452,12 @@ jobs:
   generate-packer-vars:
     docker:
       - image: 'bash'
+    parameters:
+      kalitype:
+        description: "version of kali to build ( i.e. default, min, light )"
+        type: string
+    environment:
+      KALITYPE: "<< parameters.kalitype >>"
     steps:
       - run: apk add --update --no-cache git
       - checkout
@@ -456,11 +465,11 @@ jobs:
       - run: scripts/new-kali.sh
       - run: |
           mkdir -p /tmp/packer_workspace
-          cp -v variables.json /tmp/packer_workspace
+          cp -v variables*.json /tmp/packer_workspace
       - persist_to_workspace:
           root: /tmp/packer_workspace
           paths:
-            - "variables.json"
+            - "variables*.json"
 
   terraform-packet_deploy:
     docker:
@@ -497,6 +506,9 @@ jobs:
       - image: 'elrey741/ansible-playbook_packet:alpine'
     parameters:
       build:
+        description: hypervisor build target for packer to hit
+        type: string
+      version:
         description: build target for packer to hit
         type: string
     steps:
@@ -517,7 +529,8 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             ansible-playbook -i ci/scripts/packet_net.py -u root \
               -e "api_key_from_env=${TEXTBELT_KEY:-} phone_from_env=${PERSONAL_NUM:-}" \
-              -e CIRCLECI="${CIRCLECI:-}" ci/packer_build.yml --limit="packer-build-box-<< parameters.build >>"
+              -e CIRCLECI="${CIRCLECI:-}" -e build_version="<< parameters.version >>" \
+              ci/packer_build.yml --limit="packer-build-box-<< parameters.build >>"
       - run: |
           mkdir -p /tmp/artifacts
           pwd && ls
@@ -545,11 +558,15 @@ workflows:
       - python-linting
       - ansible-linting
       - generate-packer-file
-      - generate-packer-vars
+      - generate-packer-vars:
+          matrix:
+            parameters:
+              kalitype: [ "", "light", "min" ]
       - packer-linting:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               hypervisor: [ "virtualbox-iso", "vmware-iso", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "-light", "-min" ]
           requires:
             - generate-packer-vars
             - generate-packer-file
@@ -570,6 +587,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               build: [ "v", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           requires:
             - ansible-bootstrap
       - terraform-packet_destroy:
@@ -627,6 +645,9 @@ workflows:
                 - master
                 - dev-stage
       - generate-packer-vars:
+          matrix:
+            parameters:
+              kalitype: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           filters:
             branches:
               ignore:
@@ -636,6 +657,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               hypervisor: [ "virtualbox-iso", "vmware-iso", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "-light", "-min" ]
           requires:
             - generate-packer-vars
             - generate-packer-file
@@ -683,6 +705,9 @@ workflows:
               only:
                 - master
       - generate-packer-vars:
+          matrix:
+            parameters:
+              kalitype: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           filters:
             branches:
               only:
@@ -691,6 +716,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               hypervisor: [ "virtualbox-iso", "vmware-iso", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "-light", "-min" ]
           requires:
             - generate-packer-vars
             - generate-packer-file
@@ -711,6 +737,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               build: [ "v", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           requires:
             - ansible-bootstrap
       - terraform-packet_destroy:
@@ -763,6 +790,9 @@ workflows:
               only:
                 - dev-stage
       - generate-packer-vars:
+          matrix:
+            parameters:
+              kalitype: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           filters:
             branches:
               only:
@@ -771,6 +801,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               hypervisor: [ "virtualbox-iso", "vmware-iso", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "-light", "-min" ]
           requires:
             - generate-packer-vars
             - generate-packer-file
@@ -791,6 +822,7 @@ workflows:
           matrix:
             parameters:
               build: [ "v", "qemu" ]
+              version: [ "", "light", "min" ]
           requires:
             - ansible-bootstrap
       - terraform-packet_destroy:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f4ca629..634a75f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ tmp/
 *.orig*
 
 # secret files
-*variables.json
+*variables*.json
 secrets.txt
 prov_vagrant/env_vars
 *.tfstate*
diff --git a/ci/packer_build.yml b/ci/packer_build.yml
index 43dec04..3748311 100644
--- a/ci/packer_build.yml
+++ b/ci/packer_build.yml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
             - name: launching the packer build process
               script:
-                cmd: "{{ local_ci_scripts_dir }}/packer_build-wrapper.sh '{{ provider_string }}'"
+                cmd: "{{ local_ci_scripts_dir }}/packer_build-wrapper.sh '{{ provider_string }}' '{{ build_version | default() }}'"
                 chdir: '{{ kali_project_folder }}'
               args:
                 creates: '{{ kali_project_folder }}/packer_build.log'
diff --git a/ci/scripts/packer_build-wrapper.sh b/ci/scripts/packer_build-wrapper.sh
index 5629a0d..b5edb5b 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/packer_build-wrapper.sh
+++ b/ci/scripts/packer_build-wrapper.sh
@@ -26,18 +26,41 @@ function packer_build() {
       ;;
     *)
       # just a stop gap to prevent automated tasks from happening.
-      read -rp 'You are about to try and build all the providers at once...are you sure[N/y]' -n 1
+      exit 1
       ;;
   esac
 
 }
 
-main() {
+function get_variables() {
+  build_version="${1}"
+  case "${build_version}" in
+    light)
+      packer_build_cmd+=('variables-light.json')
+      ;;
+    min)
+      packer_build_cmd+=('variables-min.json')
+      ;;
+    '')
+      packer_build_cmd+=('variables.json')
+      ;;
+    *)
+      # just a stop gap to prevent automated tasks from happening.
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+function main() {
   providers_to_build="${1}"
+  build_version="${2}"
   packer_build_cmd=(
     'packer' 'build'
-    '-var-file' 'variables.json'
+    '-var-file'
   )
+
+  get_variables "${build_version}"
+
   mapfile -t provider_array < <(tr '|' '\n' <<< "${providers_to_build}")
 
   setup_env
diff --git a/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-light-preseed.cfg b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-light-preseed.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fdcf91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-light-preseed.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# Change default hostname
+d-i netcfg/get_hostname string vagrant-kali-linux
+d-i netcfg/get_domain string 
+
+d-i debian-installer/locale string en_US.UTF-8
+d-i console-keymaps-at/keymap select us
+d-i mirror/country string enter information manually
+d-i mirror/http/hostname string http.kali.org
+d-i mirror/http/directory string /kali
+d-i keyboard-configuration/xkb-keymap select us
+d-i mirror/http/proxy string
+d-i mirror/suite string kali-rolling
+d-i mirror/codename string kali-rolling
+
+d-i clock-setup/utc boolean true
+d-i time/zone string US/Eastern
+
+# Disable security, volatile and backports
+d-i apt-setup/services-select multiselect
+
+# Enable contrib and non-free
+d-i apt-setup/non-free boolean true
+d-i apt-setup/contrib boolean true
+
+# Disable source repositories too
+d-i apt-setup/enable-source-repositories boolean false
+
+# Partitioning
+d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
+d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
+d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic
+# d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda
+d-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
+d-i partman/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
+d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
+d-i partman-auto-lvm/guided_size string max
+d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
+d-i partman-md/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
+
+# Disable CDROM entries after install
+d-i apt-setup/disable-cdrom-entries boolean true
+
+#d-i netcfg/choose_interface select auto
+d-i netcfg/choose_interface select eth0
+d-i netcfg/dhcp_timeout string 60
+
+d-i hw-detect/load_firmware boolean false
+
+# Do not create a normal user account
+d-i passwd/make-user boolean false
+d-i passwd/user-fullname string vagrant
+d-i passwd/user-uid string 1000
+d-i passwd/user-password password vagrant
+d-i passwd/user-password-again password vagrant
+d-i passwd/username string vagrant
+
+d-i apt-setup/use_mirror boolean true
+d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
+d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean false
+d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sda
+d-i finish-install/reboot_in_progress note
+
+# Disable popularity-contest
+popularity-contest popularity-contest/participate boolean false
+
+# configuring packages
+# used to Upgrade installed packages
+# d-i pkgsel/upgrade select full-upgrade
+# d-i tasksel/first multiselect standard system utilities, meta-top10, desktop-xfce
+# found this here... : https://www.offensive-security.com/kali-linux/kali-linux-iso-of-doom/
+tasksel tasksel/first multiselect meta-top10, desktop-xfce
+d-i pkgsel/upgrade select none
+
+d-i preseed/late_command string in-target systemctl enable ssh
diff --git a/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-min-preseed.cfg b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-min-preseed.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7901a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-min-preseed.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# Change default hostname
+d-i netcfg/get_hostname string vagrant-kali-linux
+d-i netcfg/get_domain string 
+
+d-i debian-installer/locale string en_US.UTF-8
+d-i console-keymaps-at/keymap select us
+d-i mirror/country string enter information manually
+d-i mirror/http/hostname string http.kali.org
+d-i mirror/http/directory string /kali
+d-i keyboard-configuration/xkb-keymap select us
+d-i mirror/http/proxy string
+d-i mirror/suite string kali-rolling
+d-i mirror/codename string kali-rolling
+
+d-i clock-setup/utc boolean true
+d-i time/zone string US/Eastern
+
+# Disable security, volatile and backports
+d-i apt-setup/services-select multiselect
+
+# Enable contrib and non-free
+d-i apt-setup/non-free boolean true
+d-i apt-setup/contrib boolean true
+
+# Disable source repositories too
+d-i apt-setup/enable-source-repositories boolean false
+
+# Partitioning
+d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
+d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
+d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic
+# d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda
+d-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
+d-i partman/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
+d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
+d-i partman-auto-lvm/guided_size string max
+d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
+d-i partman-md/confirm boolean true
+d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
+
+# Disable CDROM entries after install
+d-i apt-setup/disable-cdrom-entries boolean true
+
+#d-i netcfg/choose_interface select auto
+d-i netcfg/choose_interface select eth0
+d-i netcfg/dhcp_timeout string 60
+
+d-i hw-detect/load_firmware boolean false
+
+# Do not create a normal user account
+d-i passwd/make-user boolean false
+d-i passwd/user-fullname string vagrant
+d-i passwd/user-uid string 1000
+d-i passwd/user-password password vagrant
+d-i passwd/user-password-again password vagrant
+d-i passwd/username string vagrant
+
+d-i apt-setup/use_mirror boolean true
+d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
+d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean false
+d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sda
+d-i finish-install/reboot_in_progress note
+
+# Disable popularity-contest
+popularity-contest popularity-contest/participate boolean false
+
+# configuring packages
+# used to Upgrade installed packages
+# d-i pkgsel/upgrade select full-upgrade
+# d-i tasksel/first multiselect standard system utilities, meta-top10, desktop-xfce
+tasksel tasksel/first multiselect standard
+d-i pkgsel/upgrade select none
+
+d-i preseed/late_command string in-target systemctl enable ssh
diff --git a/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg
index 320f0bc..fa17045 100755
--- a/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg
+++ b/install/http/kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@ d-i finish-install/reboot_in_progress note
 popularity-contest popularity-contest/participate boolean false
 
 # configuring packages
-d-i tasksel/first multiselect standard system utilities, meta-default, desktop-xfce
+# used to Upgrade installed packages
+# d-i pkgsel/upgrade select full-upgrade
+# found this here... : https://www.offensive-security.com/kali-linux/kali-linux-iso-of-doom/
+tasksel tasksel/first multiselect meta-default, desktop-xfce
 d-i pkgsel/upgrade select none
 
 d-i preseed/late_command string in-target sh -c 'systemctl enable ssh'
diff --git a/install/http/reference/preseed.cfg b/install/http/reference/preseed.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..946bda1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/http/reference/preseed.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Default repository information
+d-i mirror/country string enter information manually
+d-i mirror/suite string kali-rolling
+d-i mirror/codename string kali-rolling
+d-i mirror/http/hostname string http.kali.org
+d-i mirror/http/directory string /kali
+
+# Disable security, updates and backports
+d-i apt-setup/services-select multiselect 
+
+# Enable contrib and non-free
+d-i apt-setup/non-free boolean true
+d-i apt-setup/contrib boolean true
+
+# Disable CDROM entries after install
+d-i apt-setup/disable-cdrom-entries boolean true
+
+# Disable source repositories too
+d-i apt-setup/enable-source-repositories boolean false
+
+# Upgrade installed packages
+d-i pkgsel/upgrade select full-upgrade
+
+# Change default hostname
+# DISABLED: We take care of this by forking netcfg until #719101 is fixed
+# d-i netcfg/get_hostname string kali
+# d-i netcfg/get_hostname seen false
+
+# Disable the root user entirely
+d-i passwd/root-login boolean false
+
+# Enable eatmydata in kali-installer to boost speed installation
+d-i preseed/early_command string anna-install eatmydata-udeb
+
+# Disable question about automatic security updates
+d-i pkgsel/update-policy select none
+
+## Questions from regular packages
+
+# Disable popularity-contest
+popularity-contest popularity-contest/participate boolean false
+
+# Random other questions
+console-setup console-setup/charmap47 select UTF-8
+samba-common samba-common/dhcp boolean false
+macchanger macchanger/automatically_run boolean false
+kismet-capture-common kismet-capture-common/install-users string 
+kismet-capture-common kismet-capture-common/install-setuid boolean true
+wireshark-common wireshark-common/install-setuid boolean false
+sslh sslh/inetd_or_standalone select standalone
+atftpd atftpd/use_inetd boolean false
diff --git a/install/http/reference/readme.md b/install/http/reference/readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fab237f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/http/reference/readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Kali's Preseed
+
+this is the preseed file that was built into kali at 2021-05-02
diff --git a/prov_packer/docker.sh b/prov_packer/docker.sh
index b70fe5a..3d8092d 100644
--- a/prov_packer/docker.sh
+++ b/prov_packer/docker.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ set -${-//[s]/}eu${DEBUG+xv}o pipefail
 
 function get_current_user() {
 
-  case "$PACKER_BUILDER_TYPE" in
+  case "${PACKER_BUILDER_TYPE:-}" in
     amazon-*)
       userz='kali'
       ;;
diff --git a/scripts/new-kali.sh b/scripts/new-kali.sh
index 1199de6..7ba92cc 100755
--- a/scripts/new-kali.sh
+++ b/scripts/new-kali.sh
@@ -152,6 +152,11 @@ function info_enum() {
   currentKaliReleaseVersion=$(grep -oP '\d{4}\.\w' <<< "${currentKaliISO}")
   printf '\nthe selected release for kali is: %s\n' "${currentKaliReleaseVersion}"
 
+  preseed_path="kali-linux-rolling${kaliInstallType}-preseed.cfg"
+  printf '\nthe current install type is : %s\n' "${install_type_print}"
+  printf '\nwhich means preseed file chosen is this : %s\n' "${preseed_path}"
+  packer_var_json_string+="$(printf '"preseed_path":"%s",' "${preseed_path}")"
+
   printf '\nthe current version of the box is: %s\n\n' "${vm_version}"
   packer_var_json_string+="$(printf '"vm_version":"%s"' "${vm_version}")"
 
@@ -210,6 +215,9 @@ function main() {
   # this is the iso version you would like to install
   #   i.e. installer-amd64.iso or netinst-amd64.iso
   kaliInstallISOVersion='netinst-amd64'
+  # this is the install type ( i.e. default, light, min)
+  #   so, this will limit how many tools will get installed with your kali installation
+  kaliInstallType="${KALITYPE:-}"
   # the hash algorithm wanted for the kali version
   #   NOTE: try and always make this the best it can be
   hashAlg='SHA256SUMS'
@@ -220,11 +228,20 @@ function main() {
 
   ## vagrant box information
   # name of the vagrant box
-  if [[ "$(git branch --show-current)" == dev* ]] || [[ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH:-}" == dev* ]]; then
+  if [[ "$(git branch --show-current)" == dev* ]] || [[ "$(git branch --show-current)" == feat/* ]] || [[ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH:-}" == dev* ]]; then
     dev_branch='-dev'
   fi
-  namez="kali-linux_amd64${dev_branch:-}"
-  variables_out_file='variables.json'
+
+  # type of install
+  if [[ -z "${kaliInstallType}" ]]; then
+    install_type_print='default'
+  else
+    install_type_print="${kaliInstallType}"
+    kaliInstallType="-${kaliInstallType}"
+  fi
+
+  # name of the vagrant box
+  namez="kali-linux_amd64${kaliInstallType}${dev_branch:-}"
 
   ## commands and combined variables
   # current version of kali's url combined with the base path
@@ -238,21 +255,27 @@ function main() {
   hashiName="${VAGRANT_CLOUD_USER:-}"
   vagrant_cloud_token="${VAGRANT_CLOUD_TOKEN:-}"
 
+  if [[ -n "${CIRCLECI}" ]]; then
+    variables_out_file="variables${kaliInstallType}.json"
+  else
+    variables_out_file='variables.json'
+  fi
+
   packer_var_json_string='{'
 
   deps_install
   cryptographical_verification
   hashicorp_setup_env
   info_enum
-  if [[ -z "${CIRCLECI}" ]] && command -v docker; then
-    aws_env
-  fi
+  # if [[ -z "${CIRCLECI}" ]] && command -v docker; then
+  #   aws_env
+  # fi
   packer_out
   cleanup
 
 }
 
 # https://blog.elreydetoda.site/cool-shell-tricks/#bashscriptingbashsmain
-if [[ "${0}" = "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" ]]; then
+if [[ "${0}" == "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" ]]; then
   main "${@}"
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/template_gen.py b/scripts/template_gen.py
index 59a7308..8f99179 100755
--- a/scripts/template_gen.py
+++ b/scripts/template_gen.py
@@ -171,12 +171,21 @@ def builder_alterations(packer_template_data: dict, new_builder_data: dict) -> d
         "disk_cache": "unsafe",
         "disk_image": False,
     }
+    vbox_update = {
+        "gfx_controller": "vmsvga",
+        "gfx_vram_size": "48"
+    }
 
     for builder_dict in packer_builder_list:
         logging("updated property: {} in: {}".format(prop_update, builder_dict["type"]))
         builder_dict.update(prop_update)
+        # adding vbox specific properties
+        if builder_dict["type"] == "virtualbox-iso":
+            logging("updated property: {} in: {}".format(vbox_update, builder_dict["type"]))
+            builder_dict.update(vbox_update)
         # adding libvirt/qemu specific properties
         if builder_dict["type"] == "qemu":
+            logging("updated property: {} in: {}".format(qemu_update, builder_dict["type"]))
             builder_dict.update(qemu_update)
 
     # logging(packer_builder_list)
@@ -397,7 +406,9 @@ def main():
     new_packer_template = project_root / "kali-template.json"
 
     http_preseed_dir = project_root / "install" / "http"
-    http_preseed_file = "kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg"
+    # TODO: handle when variables.json doesn't exist and default to below
+    # http_preseed_file = 'kali-linux-rolling-preseed.cfg'
+    http_preseed_file = ''
     vagrant_template_file = project_root / "install" / "vagrantfile-kali_linux.template"
 
     build_cpus = "2"
diff --git a/tmp_vagrant/Vagrantfile b/tmp_vagrant/Vagrantfile
index ce31497..84059a8 100644
--- a/tmp_vagrant/Vagrantfile
+++ b/tmp_vagrant/Vagrantfile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # vi: set ft=ruby :
 
 Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
-  config.vm.box = "kali-linux-2018_dev"
+  config.vm.box = "kali-linux-dev"
   # for provisioning I would always recommend
   # a script, because then you can leave
   # documentation