How to run a chef cookbook

chefchef-solo

It is possible to install software using Ansible and Puppet by downloading a role from galaxy or puppetforge and run it masterless.

Aim

The aim is to install MongoDB using chef masterless. I just want to download a cookbook and run it.

Attempt

  • knife cookbook site download mongodb3 saved the cookbook in /home/user/mongodb3-5.3.0.tar.gz
  • The tar was extracted
  • Based on this documentation I tried to run the cookbook using chef-client --local -o recipe['mongodb3'], but it resulted in:
[2016-11-18T10:35:28+01:00] WARN: No config file found or specified on command line, using command line options.
[2016-11-18T10:35:28+01:00] WARN: No cookbooks directory found at or above current directory.  Assuming /home/user.
Starting Chef Client, version 12.15.19
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] WARN: Run List override has been provided.
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] WARN: Original Run List: []
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] WARN: Overridden Run List: [recipe[mongodb3]]
resolving cookbooks for run list: ["mongodb3"]

================================================================================
Error Resolving Cookbooks for Run List:
================================================================================

Missing Cookbooks:
------------------
No such cookbook: mongodb3

Expanded Run List:
------------------
* mongodb3

Platform:
---------
x86_64-linux


Running handlers:
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] ERROR: Running exception handlers
Running handlers complete
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] ERROR: Exception handlers complete
Chef Client failed. 0 resources updated in 36 seconds
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to /home/user/.chef/local-mode-cache/cache/chef-stacktrace.out
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] FATAL: Please provide the contents of the stacktrace.out file if you file a bug report
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] ERROR: 412 "Precondition Failed"
[2016-11-18T10:36:05+01:00] FATAL: Chef::Exceptions::ChildConvergeError: Chef run process exited unsuccessfully (exit code 1)

Attempt 2

It is possible to run Chef code using the example as provided by @TimHaintz:

[2016-11-28T08:19:12+01:00] WARN: No config file found or specified on command line, using command line options.
Starting Chef Client, version 12.15.19
[2016-11-28T08:19:15+01:00] WARN: Run List override has been provided.
[2016-11-28T08:19:15+01:00] WARN: Original Run List: []
[2016-11-28T08:19:15+01:00] WARN: Overridden Run List: [recipe[helloworld]]
resolving cookbooks for run list: ["helloworld"]
Synchronizing Cookbooks:
  - helloworld (0.0.0)
Installing Cookbook Gems:
Compiling Cookbooks...
Converging 1 resources
Recipe: helloworld::default
  * file[/home/user/x.txt] action create
    - create new file /home/user/x.txt
    - update content in file /home/user/x.txt from none to 787ec7
    --- /home/user/x.txt    2016-11-28 08:19:15.527057085 +0100
    +++ /home/user/.chef-x20161128-7678-no5ia3.txt  2016-11-28 08:19:15.527057085 +0100
    @@ -1 +1,2 @@
    +HELLO WORLD
    - restore selinux security context
[2016-11-28T08:19:15+01:00] WARN: Skipping final node save because override_runlist was given

Running handlers:
Running handlers complete
Chef Client finished, 1/1 resources updated in 03 seconds

Questions

  1. When to use knife, chef-apply, chef-client, chef-shell or chef-solo?
  2. What is the shortest way to run a cookbook from the marketplace?

Best Answer

knife cookbook site download just gives you a raw tarball, not in a format you can use with Chef directly. If you're looking for a fully-feature chef-solo workflow I would use the knife-solo plugin together with Berkshelf.

Put the cookbooks you want to use in the Berksfile and then use knife solo cook to transfer them to the target node and run chef-solo.

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