why chef_gem recipe works from chef-solo and not through vagrant

Question

Resources chef_gem works with chef-solo but not with vagrant up

myapp/Vagrantfile

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.hostname = "my-hostname"
  config.vm.box = "ubn1204-chef-gemsources-i386"
  config.vm.network :private_network, ip: "33.33.33.10"
  config.vm.boot_timeout = 120
  config.berkshelf.enabled = true

  config.vm.provision :chef_solo do |chef|
    chef.json = {
      :mysql => {
        :server_root_password => 'rootpass',
        :server_debian_password => 'debpass',
        :server_repl_password => 'replpass'
      }
    }
    chef.run_list = [
      "recipe[myface::mysql_gem]"
    ]
  end
end

*myapp/recipes/mysql_gem.rb*

%w{mysql-client libmysqlclient-dev make}.each do |pack|
  package pack do
    action :nothing
  end.run_action(:install)
end
g = chef_gem "mysql" do
  action :nothing
end
g.run_action(:install)

when execute vagrant up I get the following error

[2014-01-22T15:21:06+00:00] INFO: Forking chef instance to converge...
[2014-01-22T15:21:07+00:00] INFO: *** Chef 11.8.2 ***
[2014-01-22T15:21:07+00:00] INFO: Chef-client pid: 1162
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Setting the run_list to ["recipe[myface::mysql_gem]"] from JSON
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Run List is [recipe[myface::mysql_gem]]
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Run List expands to [myface::mysql_gem]
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Starting Chef Run for myface-berkshelf
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Running start handlers
[2014-01-22T15:21:09+00:00] INFO: Start handlers complete.
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] WARN:  failed to find gem mysql (>= 0) from [http://rubygems.org/]
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] ERROR: Running exception handlers
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] ERROR: Exception handlers complete
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to /var/chef/cache/chef-stacktrace.out
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] ERROR: chef_gem[mysql] (myface::mysql_gem line 6) had an error: ArgumentError: Illformed requirement [""]

================================================================================
Error executing action `install` on resource 'chef_gem[mysql]'
================================================================================


ArgumentError
-------------
Illformed requirement [""]


Cookbook Trace:
---------------
/tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb:9:in `from_file'


Resource Declaration:
---------------------
# In /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb

  6: g = chef_gem "mysql" do
  7:   action :nothing
  8: end
  9: g.run_action(:install)


Compiled Resource:
------------------
# Declared in /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb:6:in `from_file'

chef_gem("mysql") do
  provider Chef::Provider::Package::Rubygems
  action [:nothing]
  retries 0
  retry_delay 2
  package_name "mysql"
  cookbook_name :myface
  recipe_name "mysql_gem"
end




================================================================================
Recipe Compile Error in /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb
================================================================================


ArgumentError
-------------
chef_gem[mysql] (myface::mysql_gem line 6) had an error: ArgumentError: Illformed requirement [""]


Cookbook Trace:
---------------
  /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb:9:in `from_file'


Relevant File Content:
----------------------
/tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/myface/recipes/mysql_gem.rb:

  2:    package pack do
  3:      action :nothing
  4:    end.run_action(:install)
  5:  end
  6:  g = chef_gem "mysql" do
  7:    action :nothing
  8:  end
  9>> g.run_action(:install) 10:  


[2014-01-22T15:21:06+00:00] INFO: Forking chef instance to converge...
[2014-01-22T15:22:54+00:00] FATAL: Chef::Exceptions::ChildConvergeError: Chef run process exited unsuccessfully (exit code 1)
Chef never successfully completed! Any errors should be visible in the
output above. Please fix your recipes so that they properly complete.

however I go into vagrant VM vagrant ssh

execute vagrant$ sudo chef-solo -c /vagrant/solo.rb -j /vagrant/aux.rb it works ok.

when

/vagrant/aux.rb

{
    "mysql": {
    "server_root_password": "rootpass",
    "server_debian_password": "debpass",
    "server_repl_password": "replpass"
},
    "run_list": [ "recipe[myface::mysql_gem]" ]
}

and

/vagrant/solo.rb

file_cache_path    "/var/chef/cache"
file_backup_path   "/var/chef/backup"
cookbook_path ["/tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks"]
log_level :info
verbose_logging    true

encrypted_data_bag_secret "/tmp/encrypted_data_bag_secret"

Someone knows why it works ok directly from chef-solo and not through vagrant?

Tools versions

• ruby 1.9.3p392
• virtualbox 4.3.6
• Chef: 11.8.2
• Vagrant 1.3.5 plugin
• vagrant-berkshelf (1.3.7)
• vagrantbox Ubuntu 12.04

Answer 1

This is a know Chef bug - CHEF-3912