Need Tips for Troubleshooting

All,
I am new to Chef and am struggling through syntax and usage issues. I work in an area where I do not have Internet support. I have tries using -VV, --verbose, and logging debug set to true (client.rb and knife.rb). I’ve started using strace (RHEL) as well. But, I spent 6hrs yesterday simply trying to do attribute overrides to a cookbook someone else wrote and keep receiving errors. This is one of many situations I’ve run into, each with a different twist.

So, I thought I would see, shy of ‘google’ and aforementioned settings, what tips and tricks people use for troubleshooting?

Thanks in advance
Anna

Sent from my iPhone

Honestly, start small.

Just install the vim package for instance:

package “vim” do
action :install
end

(ok, you’ll need more that just that being you don’t have internet access,
but you get the point)

Then add attributes to it; variablize it, and move from there.

Yes I completely agree that the errors in chef are…cryptic at best, and
with the ability NOT to google, you’ll have to do your trouble shooting
hard mode style.

Hope that helps.

Best Regards,
JJ Asghar
e: jj.asghar@peopleadmin.com | c: 512.619.0722 | o: 512.977.5876

On 2/7/14, 1:20 PM, "Anna Redding" amrsun23@yahoo.com wrote:

All,
I am new to Chef and am struggling through syntax and usage issues. I
work in an area where I do not have Internet support. I have tries using
-VV, --verbose, and logging debug set to true (client.rb and knife.rb).
I've started using strace (RHEL) as well. But, I spent 6hrs yesterday
simply trying to do attribute overrides to a cookbook someone else wrote
and keep receiving errors. This is one of many situations I've run into,
each with a different twist.

So, I thought I would see, shy of 'google' and aforementioned settings,
what tips and tricks people use for troubleshooting?

Thanks in advance
Anna

Sent from my iPhone

Hi Anna,

Did you try using "node.override['attribute_you__want_to_override"]", or
did you try editing the files in the attribute folder of the cookbook?

-Ameya

On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 11:20 AM, Anna Redding amrsun23@yahoo.com wrote:

All,
I am new to Chef and am struggling through syntax and usage issues. I work
in an area where I do not have Internet support. I have tries using -VV,
--verbose, and logging debug set to true (client.rb and knife.rb). I've
started using strace (RHEL) as well. But, I spent 6hrs yesterday simply
trying to do attribute overrides to a cookbook someone else wrote and keep
receiving errors. This is one of many situations I've run into, each with a
different twist.

So, I thought I would see, shy of 'google' and aforementioned settings,
what tips and tricks people use for troubleshooting?

Thanks in advance
Anna

Sent from my iPhone

I have tried several gyrations of override formats. I spent two hours trying to formulate an email explaining my current issues (because I cannot access the actual contents unless I'm in the secured area).

In doing so, I 'think' I figured out what I was doing incorrectly. So, I'm headed to office to try, stay tuned....

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 7, 2014, at 1:29 PM, Ameya Savale ameya@simplyhired.com wrote:

Hi Anna,

Did you try using "node.override['attribute_you__want_to_override"]", or did you try editing the files in the attribute folder of the cookbook?

-Ameya

On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 11:20 AM, Anna Redding amrsun23@yahoo.com wrote:

All,
I am new to Chef and am struggling through syntax and usage issues. I work in an area where I do not have Internet support. I have tries using -VV, --verbose, and logging debug set to true (client.rb and knife.rb). I've started using strace (RHEL) as well. But, I spent 6hrs yesterday simply trying to do attribute overrides to a cookbook someone else wrote and keep receiving errors. This is one of many situations I've run into, each with a different twist.

So, I thought I would see, shy of 'google' and aforementioned settings, what tips and tricks people use for troubleshooting?

Thanks in advance
Anna

Sent from my iPhone