# Bootstrapping first node: Failed to authenticate to the chef server (http 401)

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/bootstrapping-first-node-failed-to-authenticate-to-the-chef-server-http-401/9633>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [October 11, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/bootstrapping-first-node-failed-to-authenticate-to-the-chef-server-http-401/9633 "2016-10-11T18:46:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gold\_14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@gold\_14](https://discourse.chef.io/u/gold_14)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/bootstrapping-first-node-failed-to-authenticate-to-the-chef-server-http-401/9633/1 "2016-10-11T18:46:32Z")

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Hi list:  
I looked up on this list/Google, but no exact match (while following some ideas that may have helped) found.

If it matters for this case: I don’t have chef-manage installed on the server.

I’m using a workstation-server-node setup.

All three’s firewalls are allowing relevant traffic (80, 443, 22) between them.

Following this guide: [chef bootstrap guide](https://learn.chef.io/tutorials/manage-a-node/rhel/bring-your-own-system/bootstrap-your-node/#bootstrapusingkeybasedauthentication)  
However, getting the error mentioned in OP.

More relevant info:

[chefnode.edited.com](http://chefnode.edited.com) chef\_server\_url "[https://chef.edited.com/organizations/edited](https://chef.edited.com/organizations/edited)"  
[chefnode.edited.com](http://chefnode.edited.com) validation\_client\_name "chef-validator"  
[chefnode.edited.com](http://chefnode.edited.com) validation\_key “/etc/chef/validation.pem”

My knife.rb (on the workstation)

current\_dir = File.dirname( **FILE** )  
log\_level :info  
log\_location STDOUT  
node\_name 'chefnode’  
client\_key “#{current\_dir}/chefadmin.pem"  
validation\_client\_name 'chef-validator’  
validation\_key “#{current\_dir}/(edited)-validator.pem"  
chef\_server\_url ‘[https://chef](https://chef).(edited).com/organizations/(edited)’'  
cache\_type 'BasicFile’  
cache\_options( :path =\> “#{ENV[‘HOME’]}/.chef/checksums” )  
cookbook\_path [”#{current\_dir}/…/cookbooks”]

Your ideas/assistance is most welcome 🙂  
If other config files are needed, please ask.  
Thank you.

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**Author:** ![gold\_14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@gold\_14](https://discourse.chef.io/u/gold_14)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/bootstrapping-first-node-failed-to-authenticate-to-the-chef-server-http-401/9633/2 "2016-10-12T03:03:57Z")

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Replying as resolution:

After only 8 hours of messing with this (until I understood that I know everything about the config options, and still it does not work: broken/bug), I tried the “Validatorless Bootstrap” option from the  
[Chef Documentation] ([https://docs.chef.io/install\_bootstrap.html](https://docs.chef.io/install_bootstrap.html))

and well… it worked. I should have tried this 7:45hrs ago.