cookbook generator converge fails when run from the same parent directory as new cookbook

[bipinbachhao-lilly]

Version:

Chef Workstation version: 0.16.33
Chef Infra Client version: 15.8.23
Chef InSpec version: 4.18.51
Chef CLI version: 2.0.0
Test Kitchen version: 2.3.4
Cookstyle version: 5.22.6

Environment:

[Details about the environment such as the Operating System, cookbook details, etc...]
MacOS -10.14.6

Scenario:

Generator code generator and trying use it to generate new cookbook

Steps to Reproduce:

chef generate generator test_code_generator

Try to create new cookbook using generator

chef generate cookbook -g /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator/ test_cookbook

Expected Result:

New cookbook should be generatored

Actual Result:

Generator generator:
chef generate generator test_code_generator

Copied built-in generator cookbook to /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator
Add the following to your config file to enable it:
chefcli.generator_cookbook "/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator"

Generator cookbook:

chef generate cookbook -g /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator/ test_cookbook

Generating cookbook test_cookbook
- Ensuring correct cookbook content


Error executing action `create_if_missing` on resource 'template[/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook/metadata.rb]'


Chef::Exceptions::CookbookNotFoundInRepo
----------------------------------------
The directory /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook does not contain a cookbook

Resource Declaration:
---------------------
# In /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator/recipes/cookbook.rb

 25: template "#{cookbook_dir}/metadata.rb" do
 26:   helpers(ChefCLI::Generator::TemplateHelper)
 27:   variables(
 28:     spdx_license: spdx_license
 29:   )
 30:   action :create_if_missing
 31: end
 32:

Compiled Resource:
------------------
# Declared in /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_code_generator/recipes/cookbook.rb:25:in `from_file'

template("/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook/metadata.rb") do
  action [:create_if_missing]
  default_guard_interpreter :default
  source "metadata.rb.erb"
  helper_modules [ChefCLI::Generator::TemplateHelper]
  declared_type :template
  cookbook_name :test_code_generator
  recipe_name "cookbook"
  variables {:spdx_license=>"All Rights Reserved"}
  path "/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook/metadata.rb"
  owner nil
  group nil
  mode nil
  verifications []
end

System Info:
------------
chef_version=15.8.23
ruby=ruby 2.6.5p114 (2019-10-01 revision 67812) [x86_64-darwin17]
program_name=/usr/local/bin/chef-cli
executable=/opt/chef-workstation/bin/chef-cli

ERROR: Chef Infra failed to converge: template[/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook/metadata.rb] (test_code_generator::cookbook line 25) had an error: Chef::Exceptions::CookbookNotFoundInRepo: The directory /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook does not contain a cookbook from file /opt/chef-workstation/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/2.6.0/gems/chef-15.8.23/lib/chef/cookbook/cookbook_version_loader.rb:78:in `load!'
Caused by: (Chef::Exceptions::CookbookNotFoundInRepo) template[/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook/metadata.rb] (test_code_generator::cookbook line 25) had an error: Chef::Exceptions::CookbookNotFoundInRepo: The directory /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/test_cookbook does not contain a cookbook

[chef-davin]

@bipinbachhao-lilly I just wanted to let you know that I did find a workaround for this. If you move your generator cookbook test_code_generator into a different parent directory from the one where you want to create your cookbook, it will work.

For instance, if you were to have your cookbook generator in the below path:

/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/generators/test_code_generator

And then ran the following command to create a cookbook in you cookbooks directory:

chef generate cookbook \
/Users/Workspace/projects/chef/cookbooks/my_new_cookbook \
-g /Users/Workspace/projects/chef/generators/test_code_generator

The generate should work just fine.

For some reason we're still looking into, having the directory for your generator cookbook in the same parent directory where you're hoping to generate your new cookbook, the generate command throws this error. If you've moved the generator cookbook to a different parent directory, or try to create your cookbooks somewhere else, then this will resolve the issue.

I hope this helps.
~Davin

[subhro]

I also hit the same bug at a customer place. The workaround Davin posted worked.

[marcparadise]

Having a cookbook generator in the same location as your repository (. if you don't specify otherwise) means that ChefFS will pick up the new cookbook directory as soon as it's created during generator run; and it will fail on that, because it is expecting a cookbook and finds only an empty directory.

We're considering approaches to change this behavior, but for the time being chef-cli does not support keeping your cookbook generator in the same directory that you are trying to generate cookbooks into.

Reference chef/chef-zero#285, which documents the underlying issue.

[marcparadise]

One alternative here would be to have chef generate cookbook upload the generator cookbook to a running local chef-zero instance, which would have the effect of not considering the current directory as part of the chef repo - preventing it from scanning/picking up the new cookbook as it is created.

Perhaps the best short term option would be to detect the condition that would lead to error (generator CB shares a parent dir with the to-be-created cookbook), and give instructions on what to do instead of going ahead with the converge

[chef-davin]

Perhaps the best short term option would be to detect the condition that would lead to error (generator CB shares a parent dir with the to-be-created cookbook), and give instructions on what to do instead of going ahead with the converge

This would be awesome. I think if we can detect this condition and have a sane error message, then it's not a bug and it's just functionality and we can close all this. :)