apt_package

Use the apt_package resource to manage packages for the Debian and Ubuntu platforms.

Syntax

A apt_package resource block manages a package on a node, typically by installing it. The simplest use of the apt_package resource is:

apt_package 'package_name'

which will install the named package using all of the default options and the default action (:install).

The full syntax for all of the properties that are available to the apt_package resource is:

apt_package 'name' do
  default_release            String
  notifies                   # see description
  options                    String
  package_name               String, Array # defaults to 'name' if not specified
  provider                   Chef::Provider::Package::Apt
  source                     String
  subscribes                 # see description
  timeout                    String, Integer
  version                    String, Array
  action                     Symbol # defaults to :install if not specified
end

where

• apt_package tells the chef-client to manage a package
• 'name' is the name of the package
• :action identifies which steps the chef-client will take to bring the node into the desired state
• default_release, options, package_name, provider, source, timeout, and version are properties of this resource, with the Ruby type shown. See “Properties” section below for more information about all of the properties that may be used with this resource.

Actions

This resource has the following actions:

:install

Default. Install a package. If a version is specified, install the specified version of the package.

:nothing

Define this resource block to do nothing until notified by another resource to take action. When this resource is notified, this resource block is either run immediately or it is queued up to be run at the end of the chef-client run.

:purge

Purge a package. This action typically removes the configuration files as well as the package.

:reconfig

Reconfigure a package. This action requires a response file.

:remove

Remove a package.

:upgrade

Install a package and/or ensure that a package is the latest version.

Properties

This resource has the following properties:

default_release

Ruby Type: String

The default release. For example: stable.

ignore_failure

Ruby Types: TrueClass, FalseClass

Continue running a recipe if a resource fails for any reason. Default value: false.

notifies

Ruby Type: Symbol, ‘Chef::Resource[String]’

A resource may notify another resource to take action when its state changes. Specify a 'resource[name]', the :action that resource should take, and then the :timer for that action. A resource may notifiy more than one resource; use a notifies statement for each resource to be notified.

A timer specifies the point during the chef-client run at which a notification is run. The following timers are available:

:before

Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.

:delayed

Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the very end of the chef-client run.

:immediate, :immediately

Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, per resource notified.

The syntax for notifies is:

notifies :action, 'resource[name]', :timer

options

Ruby Type: String

One (or more) additional options that are passed to the command. For example, common apt-get directives, such as --no-install-recommends. See the apt-get man page for the full list.

package_name

Ruby Types: String, Array

The name of the package. Default value: the name of the resource block See “Syntax” section above for more information.

provider

Ruby Type: Chef Class

Optional. Explicitly specifies a provider. See “Providers” section below for more information.

retries

Ruby Type: Integer

The number of times to catch exceptions and retry the resource. Default value: 0.

retry_delay

Ruby Type: Integer

The retry delay (in seconds). Default value: 2.

source

Ruby Type: String

Optional. The direct path to a dpkg or deb package.

subscribes

Ruby Type: Symbol, ‘Chef::Resource[String]’

A resource may listen to another resource, and then take action if the state of the resource being listened to changes. Specify a 'resource[name]', the :action to be taken, and then the :timer for that action.

A timer specifies the point during the chef-client run at which a notification is run. The following timers are available:

:before

Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.

:delayed

Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the very end of the chef-client run.

:immediate, :immediately

Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, per resource notified.

The syntax for subscribes is:

subscribes :action, 'resource[name]', :timer

timeout

Ruby Types: String, Integer

The amount of time (in seconds) to wait before timing out.

version

Ruby Types: String, Array

The version of a package to be installed or upgraded.

Multiple Packages

A resource may specify multiple packages and/or versions for platforms that use Yum, Apt, Zypper, or Chocolatey package managers. Specifing multiple packages and/or versions allows a single transaction to:

• Download the specified packages and versions via a single HTTP transaction
• Update or install multiple packages with a single resource during the chef-client run

For example, installing multiple packages:

package ['package1', 'package2']

Upgrading multiple packages:

package ['package1', 'package2']  do
  action :upgrade
end

Removing multiple packages:

package ['package1', 'package2']  do
  action :remove
end

Purging multiple packages:

package ['package1', 'package2']  do
  action :purge
end

Notifications, via an implicit name:

package ['package1', 'package2']  do
  action :nothing
end

log 'call a notification' do
  notifies :install, 'package[package1, package2]', :immediately
end

Providers

Where a resource represents a piece of the system (and its desired state), a provider defines the steps that are needed to bring that piece of the system from its current state into the desired state.

The chef-client will determine the correct provider based on configuration data collected by Ohai at the start of the chef-client run. This configuration data is then mapped to a platform and an associated list of providers.

Generally, it’s best to let the chef-client choose the provider, and this is (by far) the most common approach. However, in some cases, specifying a provider may be desirable. There are two approaches:

• Use a more specific short name—yum_package "foo" do instead of package "foo" do, script "foo" do instead of bash "foo" do, and so on—when available
• Use the provider property within the resource block to specify the long name of the provider as a property of a resource. For example: provider Chef::Provider::Long::Name

This resource has the following providers:

Chef::Provider::Package, package

When this short name is used, the chef-client will attempt to determine the correct provider during the chef-client run.

Chef::Provider::Package::Apt, apt_package

The provider for the Debian and Ubuntu platforms.

Examples

The following examples demonstrate various approaches for using resources in recipes. If you want to see examples of how Chef uses resources in recipes, take a closer look at the cookbooks that Chef authors and maintains: https://github.com/chef-cookbooks.

Install a package using package manager

apt_package 'name of package' do
  action :install
end

Install a package using local file

apt_package 'jwhois' do
  action :install
  source '/path/to/jwhois.deb'
end

Install without using recommend packages as a dependency

package 'apache2' do
  options '--no-install-recommends'
end