Resources not working when using chef-run on windows?

Chef Workstation
1

Hello Community,

It seems that when using chef-run for adhoc execution of cookbooks/recipes on windows host, they are not executed properly.

Please consider very simple recipe like

file 'c:\\test\\testtest.txt' do
 content 'This is a test file'
 rights :full_control, 'administrator'
 action :create
end

Now, I run the cookbook like

chef-run myhost mysimplebook/ --user Administrator --password AB12cd34 --protocol winrm

Nothing happens on target machine. No file is created.

If I add cookbook to server run-list in Infra Server, it is correctly picked up by chef-client and executed. File is created.

What is the reason for this? Is this bug or feature, please?

2

when running the chef-run command are you in the mysimplebook directory or in it's parent directory? When using chef-run and specifying a cookbook you either have to give it the full path or it'll look for a folder by the name of the cookbook in the current working directory or in a directory specified in your knife config.rb cookbook_paths option.

3

Hello, I am in directory with all cookbooks.

Execution looks like on attached image. It should be executed correctly.

chef-run
chef-run722×234 26.5 KB

Full code of recipe in question:

#
# Cookbook:: windows_install_MSSQL_powershell_DSC
# Recipe:: default
#
# Copyright:: 2023, The Authors, All Rights Reserved.



powershell_script 'Prepare Machine for DSC' do
  code <<-EOH
	Set-PSRepository -InstallationPolicy Trusted -Name PSGallery
	Install-Module -Name SqlServerDsc
	Install-Module -Name SqlServer
	Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201 -Force
  EOH
end


file 'c:\\test\\testtest.txt' do
 content 'This is a test file'
 rights :full_control, 'WINDOMAIN.pavel\\administrator'
 action :create
end


cookbook_file 'c:\\test\\create_mof_file.ps1' do
  source 'create_mof_file.ps1'
  action :create
end
4

if you are a customer I'd recommend opening a support ticket. If not then you can submit an issue at GitHub - chef/chef-workstation: Chef Workstation gives you everything you need to get started with Chef, so you can automate how you audit, configure, and manage applications end environments..

5

Thank you for your time. I will follow up on github