# Using omnibus

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [December 6, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308 "2011-12-06T08:10:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Jang](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/steve_jang/32/690_2.png) [@Steve\_Jang](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Steve_Jang)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/1 "2011-12-06T08:10:30Z")

</div>

Hi Folks!

I am trying to use Omnibus ([https://github.com/opscode/omnibus](https://github.com/opscode/omnibus)) to install  
chef server… Out of the box, it built me  
a chef-server-full-0.10.0-1-ubuntu-10.04-x86\_64.tar.gz by following the  
steps on github and /opt/opscode/{embedded,bin} directories…

What are the next steps? Does anyone have good template for getting the  
server up and running? Perhaps using chef-server recipe + chef-solo +  
config file + chef-server recipe?  
(or do I have to produce init.d scripts manually after this?)

-Steve

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan\_McLellan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/bryan_mclellan/32/81_2.png) [@Bryan\_McLellan](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Bryan_McLellan)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/2 "2011-12-06T13:16:29Z")

</div>

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 3:10 AM, Steve Jang [estebanjang@gmail.com](mailto:estebanjang@gmail.com) wrote:

> I am trying to use Omnibus ([GitHub - chef/omnibus: Easily create full-stack installers for your project across a variety of platforms.](https://github.com/opscode/omnibus)) to install  
> chef server... Out of the box, it built me  
> a chef-server-full-0.10.0-1-ubuntu-10.04-x86\_64.tar.gz by following the  
> steps on github and /opt/opscode/{embedded,bin} directories...

Omnibus is a build system for creating Chef builds that are easy to  
install. It wasn't meant for each individual to install Omnibus to  
create a build and then install it.

> What are the next steps? Does anyone have good template for getting the  
> server up and running? Perhaps using chef-server recipe + chef-solo + config  
> file + chef-server recipe?  
> (or do I have to produce init.d scripts manually after this?)

Omnibus Server, that is the Omnibus install that includes the Chef  
Server, doesn't work for 0.10 and is incomplete. Notably it is missing  
the additional dependencies of 0.10 and wasn't completed. We put some  
work into it, which you could see in the 0.10 branch, but ran into  
difficulties debugging it due to Clojure's lack of error messages and  
functional stack traces. We're going to rewrite the Omnibus build  
system in Ruby in the future, but we're in the design phase right now.

Omnibus Client is in a beta release and we're actively working on  
testing and expanding its coverage toward a full release soon. You can  
find our original post about the beta release here:  
[http://lists.opscode.com/sympa/arc/chef-dev/2011-08/msg00055.html](http://lists.opscode.com/sympa/arc/chef-dev/2011-08/msg00055.html)

You should install follow the documentation on the wiki for installing  
the Chef Server. You can start here:  
[http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server)

Installing using Rubygems is the most common install path, which you  
can find directions for here:  
[http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo)

Bryan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve\_Jang](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/steve_jang/32/690_2.png) [@Steve\_Jang](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Steve_Jang)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/3 "2011-12-06T17:21:58Z")

</div>

Ah. Got it. Thanks for the detailed response.  
I had written a little wrapper script for installing chef server myself,  
but was looking to replace it with omnibus.

-Steve

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 5:16 AM, Bryan McLellan [btm@loftninjas.org](mailto:btm@loftninjas.org) wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 3:10 AM, Steve Jang [estebanjang@gmail.com](mailto:estebanjang@gmail.com) wrote:
> 
> > I am trying to use Omnibus ([GitHub - chef/omnibus: Easily create full-stack installers for your project across a variety of platforms.](https://github.com/opscode/omnibus)) to  
> > install  
> > chef server... Out of the box, it built me  
> > a chef-server-full-0.10.0-1-ubuntu-10.04-x86\_64.tar.gz by following the  
> > steps on github and /opt/opscode/{embedded,bin} directories...
> 
> Omnibus is a build system for creating Chef builds that are easy to  
> install. It wasn't meant for each individual to install Omnibus to  
> create a build and then install it.
> 
> > What are the next steps? Does anyone have good template for getting the  
> > server up and running? Perhaps using chef-server recipe + chef-solo +  
> > config  
> > file + chef-server recipe?  
> > (or do I have to produce init.d scripts manually after this?)
> 
> Omnibus Server, that is the Omnibus install that includes the Chef  
> Server, doesn't work for 0.10 and is incomplete. Notably it is missing  
> the additional dependencies of 0.10 and wasn't completed. We put some  
> work into it, which you could see in the 0.10 branch, but ran into  
> difficulties debugging it due to Clojure's lack of error messages and  
> functional stack traces. We're going to rewrite the Omnibus build  
> system in Ruby in the future, but we're in the design phase right now.
> 
> Omnibus Client is in a beta release and we're actively working on  
> testing and expanding its coverage toward a full release soon. You can  
> find our original post about the beta release here:  
> [chef-dev - [chef-dev] Chef Omnibus Beta](http://lists.opscode.com/sympa/arc/chef-dev/2011-08/msg00055.html)
> 
> You should install follow the documentation on the wiki for installing  
> the Chef Server. You can start here:  
> [http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server)
> 
> Installing using Rubygems is the most common install path, which you  
> can find directions for here:  
> [http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo)
> 
> Bryan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brad\_Knowles](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/brad_knowles/32/716_2.png) [@Brad\_Knowles](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Brad_Knowles)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/4 "2011-12-06T17:34:32Z")

</div>

On Dec 6, 2011, at 11:21 AM, Steve Jang wrote:

> Ah. Got it. Thanks for the detailed response.  
> I had written a little wrapper script for installing chef server myself, but was looking to replace it with omnibus.

I would think that you should be able to do an install using the "full-stack chef-client installer" from the omnibus build system, and then from there proceed on to getting the rest of the chef-server stuff built. At least, that would save you a certain amount of work.

--  
Brad Knowles [bknowles@ihiji.com](mailto:bknowles@ihiji.com)  
SAGE Level IV, Chef Level 0.0.1

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan\_McLellan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/bryan_mclellan/32/81_2.png) [@Bryan\_McLellan](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Bryan_McLellan)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/5 "2011-12-06T17:40:12Z")

</div>

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Brad Knowles [bknowles@ihiji.com](mailto:bknowles@ihiji.com) wrote:

> I would think that you should be able to do an install using the "full-stack chef-client installer" from the omnibus build system, and then from there proceed on to getting the rest of the chef-server stuff built. At least, that would save you a certain amount of work.

I would recommend against that.

For starters, it is hard for anyone to support or help you if you have  
problems, because you're doing it in a unique way. If you follow the  
documented directions and run into an issue because of something  
special about your setup, it is more likely that someone else would  
have made the same mistake and you'll be able to find their notes or  
thoughts online.

Further though, Omnibus Client installs to an isolated part of the  
system. For instance, it comes with its own known-working version of  
ruby that won't interfere with another version of ruby installed on  
the system. Installing the Omnibus client and the chef server some  
other way will mean that you've got the server and client working on  
different ruby stacks, and you'll have multiple installs of rubygems,  
including multiple versions of the chef gems installed.

Using the Chef-solo install is pretty easy if you've got ruby because  
it uses Chef-solo to set up the server for you, with init scripts. If  
you have any experience with rubygems, it's the easiest path.

[http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo](http://wiki.opscode.com/display/chef/Installing+Chef+Server+using+Chef+Solo)

Bryan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brad\_Knowles](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/brad_knowles/32/716_2.png) [@Brad\_Knowles](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Brad_Knowles)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/6 "2011-12-06T17:43:44Z")

</div>

On Dec 6, 2011, at 11:40 AM, Bryan McLellan wrote:

> Using the Chef-solo install is pretty easy if you've got ruby because  
> it uses Chef-solo to set up the server for you, with init scripts. If  
> you have any experience with rubygems, it's the easiest path.

Tim Toady is not always your friend? 😉

--  
Brad Knowles [bknowles@ihiji.com](mailto:bknowles@ihiji.com)  
SAGE Level IV, Chef Level 0.0.1

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan\_McLellan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/bryan_mclellan/32/81_2.png) [@Bryan\_McLellan](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Bryan_McLellan)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/7 "2011-12-06T18:13:55Z")

</div>

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 12:43 PM, Brad Knowles [bknowles@ihiji.com](mailto:bknowles@ihiji.com) wrote:

> Tim Toady is not always your friend? 😉

Well, there's more than one way to do it by yourself in a vacuum in  
space, where you are alone, sad, and crying. =D

But if you want to make friends and have fun, some compromise is needed.

Bryan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alex\_Kiernan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/alex_kiernan/32/473_2.png) [@Alex\_Kiernan](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Alex_Kiernan)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/8 "2011-12-16T10:26:34Z")

</div>

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Bryan McLellan [btm@loftninjas.org](mailto:btm@loftninjas.org) wrote:

> Omnibus Server, that is the Omnibus install that includes the Chef  
> Server, doesn't work for 0.10 and is incomplete. Notably it is missing  
> the additional dependencies of 0.10 and wasn't completed. We put some  
> work into it, which you could see in the 0.10 branch, but ran into  
> difficulties debugging it due to Clojure's lack of error messages and  
> functional stack traces. We're going to rewrite the Omnibus build  
> system in Ruby in the future, but we're in the design phase right now.

I'd previously had 0.10.4 server up from omnibus using a bunch of  
local changes, all on github, but I can't sign the CLA 😑

I tried 0.10.6 last night and installing it just now on first glance  
it looks like its all there and running... any pointers as to what  
might be missing?

We've really struggled with chef server as we're stuck on an ancient  
RedHat release (don't ask...) and the omnibus client's dealt with all  
that pain, our plan was to try doing the server over christmas but I'm  
wondering what we're missing.

--  
Alex Kiernan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AJ\_Christensen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/aj_christensen/32/525_2.png) [@AJ\_Christensen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/AJ_Christensen)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:38am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/9 "2011-12-16T10:38:00Z")

</div>

On 16 December 2011 23:26, Alex Kiernan [alex.kiernan@gmail.com](mailto:alex.kiernan@gmail.com) wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Bryan McLellan [btm@loftninjas.org](mailto:btm@loftninjas.org) wrote:
> 
> > Omnibus Server, that is the Omnibus install that includes the Chef  
> > Server, doesn't work for 0.10 and is incomplete. Notably it is missing  
> > the additional dependencies of 0.10 and wasn't completed. We put some  
> > work into it, which you could see in the 0.10 branch, but ran into  
> > difficulties debugging it due to Clojure's lack of error messages and  
> > functional stack traces. We're going to rewrite the Omnibus build  
> > system in Ruby in the future, but we're in the design phase right now.
> 
> I'd previously had 0.10.4 server up from omnibus using a bunch of  
> local changes, all on github, but I can't sign the CLA 😑

Why can't you sign the CLA?

--AJ

> I tried 0.10.6 last night and installing it just now on first glance  
> it looks like its all there and running... any pointers as to what  
> might be missing?
> 
> We've really struggled with chef server as we're stuck on an ancient  
> RedHat release (don't ask...) and the omnibus client's dealt with all  
> that pain, our plan was to try doing the server over christmas but I'm  
> wondering what we're missing.
> 
> --  
> Alex Kiernan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alex\_Kiernan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/alex_kiernan/32/473_2.png) [@Alex\_Kiernan](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Alex_Kiernan)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/using-omnibus/2308/10 "2011-12-16T10:51:10Z")

</div>

On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 10:38 AM, AJ Christensen [aj@junglist.gen.nz](mailto:aj@junglist.gen.nz) wrote:

> On 16 December 2011 23:26, Alex Kiernan [alex.kiernan@gmail.com](mailto:alex.kiernan@gmail.com) wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Bryan McLellan [btm@loftninjas.org](mailto:btm@loftninjas.org) wrote:
> > 
> > > Omnibus Server, that is the Omnibus install that includes the Chef  
> > > Server, doesn't work for 0.10 and is incomplete. Notably it is missing  
> > > the additional dependencies of 0.10 and wasn't completed. We put some  
> > > work into it, which you could see in the 0.10 branch, but ran into  
> > > difficulties debugging it due to Clojure's lack of error messages and  
> > > functional stack traces. We're going to rewrite the Omnibus build  
> > > system in Ruby in the future, but we're in the design phase right now.
> > 
> > I'd previously had 0.10.4 server up from omnibus using a bunch of  
> > local changes, all on github, but I can't sign the CLA 😑
> 
> Why can't you sign the CLA?

Corporate lunacy.

--  
Alex Kiernan