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Add a 'type' property to the standard 'package' resource

Was trying to use the standard 'package' resource to install a package across different Linux platforms, which use different installer file types.  While being able to use conditional to feed the resource the different file name/types, I found that 'package' didn't necessarily call the correct sub-package resource, in this case on Ubuntu it was trying to use apt_package and I needed it to use dpkg_package.  

So my thought is it would be nice if there was a property in the 'package' resource, like 'type' that would allow you to force 'package' to use a specific sub-package resource.  

Ex:

case node['platform']

when 'centos', 'redhat', 'ubuntu'

  package"Install Splunk Client #{new_resource.installer_version}" do

    package_name 'splunkforwarder

    source installer_path

    action :install

  end

end

 

def  installer_path

  "#{new_resource.installer_dir}/#{new_resource.installer_file}"

end

So in this case the installer_file is passed into the installer_path definition is based on which Linux platform this code is running on, that logic is elsewhere to make that determination which then creates the platform specific installer_path that is passed into the source property. 

 
Every other property I am passing into 'package' which I didn't include for the sake of brevity, is the same regardless of Linux platform.  So without this, it is forcing me to define separate RHEL and Ubuntu package resources which is 10 repetitive additional lines of code. 
 
but Ubuntu used apt_package for a .dpkg file.
 
So if I was able to do something like this:
 

case node['platform']

when 'centos', 'redhat', 'ubuntu'

  package"Install Splunk Client #{new_resource.installer_version}" do

    package_name 'splunkforwarder

    source installer_path

    type: dkpg

    action :install

  end

end

 

def  installer_path

  "#{new_resource.installer_dir}/#{new_resource.installer_file}"

end

  • Brian Whitacre
  • Nov 14 2019
  • Archive
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  • Lamont Granquist commented
    December 10, 2019 22:46

    Not possible.

     

    The dpkg_package resource needs to be declared in order to pass the block which contains the type provider.  So you'd need to create the right object before you parse the thing which tells you which object to create.  This is also currently possible with the provider argument to override the provider object, but that is unfixably buggy since it winds up creating situations like apt_package resources wrapping dpkg_package providers, so nobody should use that approach.

     

    A better solution for this example is to just use `dpkg_package` directly instead of `package` on the DSL.

     

    For situations where the user wants to reuse contents of the block then declare_resource can be used to switch both the resource and provider, in such a way that it does not bypass the dynamic provider-resolver and resource-resolver.  This winds up properly with a dpkg_package resource wrapping a dpkg_package provider:

     

    pack_res = ubuntu? ? :dpkg_package : :rpm_package

    declare_resource(pack_res, "lsof") do

       [ ... common codeblock ... ]

    end

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