Chef overriding attributes from another recipe in same cookbook

Question

I have a cookbook with 2 recipes.

attributes/default.rb default['vpn']['crt'] = 'nocrt'

The default recipe has a file resource that creates a generic crt file

file 'cert' do
    path "/etc/vpn/#{node.default['network']['hostname']}.crt"
    owner 'root'
    group 'root'
    mode '0644'
    content node.default['vpn']['crt']
end

In the second recipe client.rb, I include the default recipe, load an encrypted data bag for that "client" and override the attribute. BUT it doesn't get overridden.

include_recipe 'my-cookbook'

vault = ChefVault::Item.load('auth', 'client')

node.override['vpn']['crt'] = vault['crt']

...

The file's content == 'nocrt'

According to Chef's Attribute Precedence, it should override with the content of vault['crt'].

UPDATE:

Javier Cortejoso: Your answer works when used in the file resource.

But consider this for example:

attributes/default.rb:

default['network']['hostname'] = 'generic-host-name'

In recipes/default.rb:

Chef::Log.info(node['network']['hostname'])
Chef::Log.info(node.default['network']['hostname'])
Chef::Log.info(node.override['network']['hostname'])

In recipes/client.rb:

node.override['network']['hostname'] = 'client-host-name'
include_recipe 'cookbook::default'

So even if even I change the order of execution to the client.rb recipe first, then default.rb after overriding, it still gives me the hostname 'generic-host-name':

==> default: [2015-03-04T17:30:43+00:00] INFO: generic-host-name
==> default: [2015-03-04T17:30:43+00:00] INFO: generic-host-name
==> default: [2015-03-04T17:30:43+00:00] INFO: {}

SOLUTION

I'm a ****in idiot. I had both of these in my Vagrant file:

chef.add_role "cookbook"
chef.add_recipe "cookbook::client"

Thanks Javier Cortejoso for pointing clarifying the lazy attribute loading for me.

Javier Cortejoso Javier Cortejoso · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-03T22:44:15

IMO It seems that the attribute is overridden after the compilation file['cert']. It a "time" problem and not a "priority" problem. There are some points you may take care in order to get correct order of execution of your recipes:

The order of execution should be running first the recipe where you override the attribute (client.rb), and later the recipe where you use the overridden attribute (default.rb).
You can also use the lazy attribute evaluation for your attribute with the content.

So your default.rb should be:

    include_recipe 'my-cookbook::client'
    file 'cert' do
        path "/etc/vpn/#{node.default['network']['hostname']}.crt"
        owner 'root'
        group 'root'
        mode '0644'
        content lazy node.default['vpn']['crt']
    end

Chef overriding attributes from another recipe in same cookbook

1 Answers