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)