Provided by: chef_11.8.2-2_all 
NAME
chef-client - The man page for the chef-client command line tool.
A chef-client is an agent that runs locally on every node that is registered with the
server. When a chef-client is run, it will perform all of the steps that are required to
bring the node into the expected state, including:
• Registering and authenticating the node with the server
• Building the node object
• Synchronizing cookbooks
• Compiling the resource collection by loading each of the required cookbooks, including
recipes, attributes, and all other dependencies
• Taking the appropriate and required actions to configure the node
• Looking for exceptions and notifications, handling each as required
The chef-client executable can be run as a command-line tool.
Note A client.rb file is used to specify the configuration details for the chef-client.
This file is the default configuration file and is loaded every time the
chef-client executable is run. The chef-client executable can be run as a daemon.
On UNIX- and Linux-based machines, the configuration file is located at:
/etc/chef/client.rb. On Microsoft Windows machines, the configuration file is
located at C:chefclient.rb.
OPTIONS
This command has the following syntax:
chef-client OPTION VALUE OPTION VALUE ...
This command has the following options:
-A, --fatal-windows-admin-check
Indicates that a chef-client run should fail if the chef-client does not have
administrator privileges in Microsoft Windows.
-c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
The configuration file to use.
-d, --daemonize
Indicates that the executable will be run as a daemon. This option is only
available on machines that run in UNIX or Linux environments. For machines that are
running Microsoft Windows that require similar functionality, use the
chef-client::service recipe in the chef-client cookbook:
http://community.opscode.com/cookbooks/chef-client. This will install a chef-client
service under Microsoft Windows using the Windows Service Wrapper.
-E ENVIRONMENT_NAME, --environment ENVIRONMENT_NAME
The name of the environment.
-f, --fork
Indicates that a chef-client run will be contained in a secondary process with
dedicated RAM. When the chef-client run is complete the RAM will be returned to the
master process. This option helps ensure that a chef-client will use a steady
amount of RAM over time because the master process will not run recipes. This
option will also help prevent memory leaks (such as those that can be introduced by
the code contained within a poorly designed cookbook). Use --no-fork to disable
running the chef-client in fork node. Default value: --fork.
-F FORMAT, --format FORMAT
The output format: summary (default), text, json, yaml, and pp.
--force-formatter
Indicates that formatter output will be used instead of logger output.
--force-logger
Indicates that logger output will be used instead of formatter output.
-g GROUP, --group GROUP
The name of the group that owns a process. This is required when starting any
executable as a daemon.
-h, --help
Shows help for the command.
-i SECONDS, --interval SECONDS
The frequency (in seconds) at which the chef-client runs. This value is configured
for the chef-client application run time, rather than in Chef::Config. Default
value: 1800.
-j PATH, --json-attributes PATH
The path to a file that contains JSON data. Use this option to override attributes
that are set from other locations, such as from within a cookbook or by a role.
-k KEY_FILE, --client_key KEY_FILE
The location of the file which contains the client key. Default value:
/etc/chef/client.pem.
-K KEY_FILE, --validation_key KEY_FILE
The location of the file which contains the key used when a chef-client is
registered with a server. A validation key is signed using the
validation_client_name for authentication. Default value: /etc/chef/validation.pem.
-l LEVEL, --log_level LEVEL
The level of logging that will be stored in a log file: debug, info, warn, error,
or fatal.
-L LOGLOCATION, --logfile c
The location in which log file output files will be saved. If this location is set
to something other than STDOUT, standard output logging will still be performed
(otherwise there would be no output other than to a file). This is recommended when
starting any executable as a daemon. Default value: STDOUT.
--[no-]color
Indicates that color will not be used in the output. Default setting: --color.
-N NODE_NAME, --node-name NODE_NAME
The name of the node.
-o RUN_LIST_ITEM, --override-runlist RUN_LIST_ITEM
Replace the current run list with the specified items.
--once Indicates that the chef-client is run once and that interval and splay options are
cancelled.
-P PID_FILE, --pid PID_FILE
The location in which a process identification number (pid) is saved. An
executable, when started as a daemon, will write the pid to the specified file.
Default value: /tmp/name-of-executable.pid.
-R, --enable-reporting
Indicates that data collection reporting is enabled during a chef-client run.
-s SECONDS, --splay SECONDS
A number (in seconds) to add to the interval that is used to determine the
frequency of chef-client runs. This number can help prevent server load when there
are many clients running at the same time.
-S CHEF_SERVER_URL, --server CHEF_SERVER_URL
The URL for the server.
-u USER, --user USER
The user that owns a process. This is required when starting any executable as a
daemon.
-v, --version
The version of the chef-client.
-W, --why-run
Indicates that the executable will be run in why-run mode, which is a type of
chef-client run that does everything except modify the system. Use why-run mode to
understand why the chef-client makes the decisions that it makes and to learn more
about the current and proposed state of the system.
-z, --local-mode
Indicates that the chef-client will be run in local mode, which allows all commands
that work against the server to also work against the local chef-repo.
RUN WITH ELEVATED PRIVILEGES
The chef-client may need to be run with elevated privileges in order to get a recipe to
converge correctly. On UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems this can be done by running
the command as root. On Microsoft Windows this can be done by running the command prompt
as an administrator.
Linux
On Linux, the following error sometimes occurs when the permissions used to run the
chef-client are incorrect:
$ chef-client
[Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:46:17 -0800] INFO: *** Chef 10.X.X ***
[Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:46:18 -0800] WARN: Failed to read the private key /etc/chef/client.pem: #<Errno::EACCES: Permission denied - /etc/chef/client.pem>
This can be resolved by running the command as root. There are a few ways this can be
done:
• Log in as root and then run the chef-client
• Use su to become the root user, and then run the chef-client. For example:
$ su
and then:
$ chef-client
• Use the sudo utility
$ sudo chef-client
• Give a user access to read /etc/chef and also the files accessed by the chef-client.
This requires super user privileges and, as such, is not a recommended approach
Windows
On Microsoft Windows, running without elevated privileges (when they are necessary) is an
issue that fails silently. It will appear that the chef-client completed its run
successfully, but the changes will not have been made. When this occurs, do one of the
following to run the chef-client as the administrator:
• Log in to the administrator account. (This is not the same as an account in the
administrator's security group.)
• Run the chef-client process from the administrator account while being logged into
another account. Run the following command:
$ runas /user:Administrator "cmd /C chef-client"
This will prompt for the administrator account password.
• Open a command prompt by right-clicking on the command prompt application, and then
selecting Run as administrator. After the command window opens, the chef-client can be
run as the administrator
EXAMPLES
Start a Chef run when the chef-client is running as a daemon
A chef-client that is running as a daemon can be woken up and started by sending the
process a SIGUSR1. For example, to trigger a chef-client run on a machine running Linux:
$ sudo killall -USR1 chef-client
Start a Chef run manually
$ ps auxw|grep chef-client
to return something like:
root 66066 0.9 0.0 2488880 264 s001 S+ 10:26AM 0:03.05
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby /usr/bin/chef-client -i 3600 -s 20
and then enter:
$ sudo kill -USR1 66066
AUTHOR
Opscode
Chef 11.8.0 CHEF-CLIENT(8)