Use the powershell_script resource to execute a script using the Windows PowerShell interpreter, much like how the script and script-based resources—bash, csh, perl, python, and ruby—are used. The powershell_script is specific to the Microsoft Windows platform and the Windows PowerShell interpreter.
The powershell_script resource creates and executes a temporary file (similar to how the script resource behaves), rather than running the command inline. Commands that are executed with this resource are (by their nature) not idempotent, as they are typically unique to the environment in which they are run. Use not_if
and only_if
to guard this resource for idempotence.
A powershell_script resource block executes a batch script using the Windows PowerShell interpreter. For example, writing to an interpolated path:
powershell_script 'write-to-interpolated-path' do code <<-EOH $stream = [System.IO.StreamWriter] "#{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}/powershell-test.txt" $stream.WriteLine("In #{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}...word.") $stream.close() EOH end
The full syntax for all of the properties that are available to the powershell_script resource is:
powershell_script 'name' do architecture Symbol code String command String, Array convert_boolean_return TrueClass, FalseClass creates String cwd String environment Hash flags String group String, Integer guard_interpreter Symbol interpreter String notifies # see description provider Chef::Provider::PowershellScript returns Integer, Array subscribes # see description timeout Integer, Float action Symbol # defaults to :run if not specified end
where
powershell_script
is the resourcename
is the name of the resource blockcommand
is the command to be run and cwd
is the location from which the command is run:action
identifies the steps the chef-client will take to bring the node into the desired statearchitecture
, code
, command
, convert_boolean_return
, creates
, cwd
, environment
, flags
, group
, guard_interpreter
, interpreter
, provider
, returns
, and timeout
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.This resource has the following actions:
:nothing
:run
This resource has the following properties:
architecture
Ruby Type: Symbol
The architecture of the process under which a script is executed. If a value is not provided, the chef-client defaults to the correct value for the architecture, as determined by Ohai. An exception is raised when anything other than :i386
is specified for a 32-bit process. Possible values: :i386
(for 32-bit processes) and :x86_64
(for 64-bit processes).
code
Ruby Type: String
A quoted (” ”) string of code to be executed.
command
Ruby Types: String, Array
The name of the command to be executed. Default value: the name
of the resource block See “Syntax” section above for more information.
convert_boolean_return
Ruby Types: TrueClass, FalseClass
Return 0
if the last line of a command is evaluated to be true or to return 1
if the last line is evaluated to be false. Default value: false
.
When the guard_intrepreter
common attribute is set to :powershell_script
, a string command will be evaluated as if this value were set to true
. This is because the behavior of this attribute is similar to the value of the "$?"
expression common in UNIX interpreters. For example, this:
powershell_script 'make_safe_backup' do guard_interpreter :powershell_script code 'cp ~/data/nodes.json ~/data/nodes.bak' not_if 'test-path ~/data/nodes.bak' end
is similar to:
bash 'make_safe_backup' do code 'cp ~/data/nodes.json ~/data/nodes.bak' not_if 'test -e ~/data/nodes.bak' end
creates
Ruby Type: String
Inherited from execute resource. Prevent a command from creating a file when that file already exists.
cwd
Ruby Type: String
Inherited from execute resource. The current working directory from which a command is run.
environment
Ruby Type: Hash
Inherited from execute resource. A Hash of environment variables in the form of ({"ENV_VARIABLE" => "VALUE"})
. (These variables must exist for a command to be run successfully.)
flags
Ruby Type: String
A string that is passed to the Windows PowerShell command. Default value: -NoLogo, -NonInteractive, -NoProfile, -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned, -InputFormat None, -File
.
group
Ruby Types: String, Integer
Inherited from execute resource. The group name or group ID that must be changed before running a command.
guard_interpreter
Ruby Type: Symbol
Default value: :powershell_script
. When this property is set to :powershell_script
, the 64-bit version of the Windows PowerShell shell will be used to evaluate strings values for the not_if
and only_if
properties. Set this value to :default
to use the 32-bit version of the cmd.exe shell.
ignore_failure
Ruby Types: TrueClass, FalseClass
Continue running a recipe if a resource fails for any reason. Default value: false
.
interpreter
Ruby Type: String
The script interpreter to use during code execution. Changing the default value of this property is not supported.
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
:delayed
:immediate
, :immediately
The syntax for notifies
is:
notifies :action, 'resource[name]', :timer
provider
Ruby Type: Chef Class
Optional. Explicitly specifies a provider.
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
.
returns
Ruby Types: Integer, Array
Inherited from execute resource. The return value for a command. This may be an array of accepted values. An exception is raised when the return value(s) do not match. Default value: 0
.
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
:delayed
:immediate
, :immediately
The syntax for subscribes
is:
subscribes :action, 'resource[name]', :timer
timeout
Ruby Types: Integer, Float
Inherited from execute resource. The amount of time (in seconds) a command is to wait before timing out. Default value: 3600
.
A guard property can be used to evaluate the state of a node during the execution phase of the chef-client run. Based on the results of this evaluation, a guard property is then used to tell the chef-client if it should continue executing a resource. A guard property accepts either a string value or a Ruby block value:
0
, the guard is applied. If the command returns any other value, then the guard property is not applied. String guards in a powershell_script run Windows PowerShell commands and may return true
in addition to 0
.true
or false
. If the block returns true
, the guard property is applied. If the block returns false
, the guard property is not applied.A guard property is useful for ensuring that a resource is idempotent by allowing that resource to test for the desired state as it is being executed, and then if the desired state is present, for the chef-client to do nothing.
Attributes
The following properties can be used to define a guard that is evaluated during the execution phase of the chef-client run:
not_if
true
.only_if
true
.Arguments
The following arguments can be used with the not_if
or only_if
guard properties:
:user
Specify the user that a command will run as. For example:
not_if 'grep adam /etc/passwd', :user => 'adam'
:group
Specify the group that a command will run as. For example:
not_if 'grep adam /etc/passwd', :group => 'adam'
:environment
Specify a Hash of environment variables to be set. For example:
not_if 'grep adam /etc/passwd', :environment => { 'HOME' => '/home/adam' }
:cwd
Set the current working directory before running a command. For example:
not_if 'grep adam passwd', :cwd => '/etc'
:timeout
Set a timeout for a command. For example:
not_if 'sleep 10000', :timeout => 10
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.
Write to an interpolated path
powershell_script 'write-to-interpolated-path' do code <<-EOH $stream = [System.IO.StreamWriter] "#{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}/powershell-test.txt" $stream.WriteLine("In #{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}...word.") $stream.close() EOH end
Change the working directory
powershell_script 'cwd-then-write' do cwd Chef::Config[:file_cache_path] code <<-EOH $stream = [System.IO.StreamWriter] "C:/powershell-test2.txt" $pwd = pwd $stream.WriteLine("This is the contents of: $pwd") $dirs = dir foreach ($dir in $dirs) { $stream.WriteLine($dir.fullname) } $stream.close() EOH end
Change the working directory in Microsoft Windows
powershell_script 'cwd-to-win-env-var' do cwd '%TEMP%' code <<-EOH $stream = [System.IO.StreamWriter] "./temp-write-from-chef.txt" $stream.WriteLine("chef on windows rox yo!") $stream.close() EOH end
Pass an environment variable to a script
powershell_script 'read-env-var' do cwd Chef::Config[:file_cache_path] environment ({'foo' => 'BAZ'}) code <<-EOH $stream = [System.IO.StreamWriter] "./test-read-env-var.txt" $stream.WriteLine("FOO is $env:foo") $stream.close() EOH end
Evaluate for true and/or false
Use the convert_boolean_return
attribute to raise an exception when certain conditions are met. For example, the following fragments will run successfully without error:
powershell_script 'false' do code '$false' end
and:
powershell_script 'true' do code '$true' end
whereas the following will raise an exception:
powershell_script 'false' do convert_boolean_return true code '$false' end
Use the flags attribute
powershell_script 'Install IIS' do code <<-EOH Import-Module ServerManager Add-WindowsFeature Web-Server EOH flags '-NoLogo, -NonInteractive, -NoProfile, -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted, -InputFormat None, -File' guard_interpreter :powershell_script not_if '(Get-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server).Installed' end
Rename computer, join domain, reboot
The following example shows how to rename a computer, join a domain, and then reboot the computer:
reboot 'Restart Computer' do action :nothing end powershell_script 'Rename and Join Domain' do code <<-EOH ...your rename and domain join logic here... EOH not_if <<-EOH $ComputerSystem = gwmi win32_computersystem ($ComputerSystem.Name -like '#{node['some_attribute_that_has_the_new_name']}') -and $ComputerSystem.partofdomain) EOH notifies :reboot_now, 'reboot[Restart Computer]', :immediately end
where:
not_if
guard prevents the Windows PowerShell script from running when the settings in the not_if
guard match the desired statenotifies
statement tells the reboot resource block to run if the powershell_script block was executed during the chef-client run
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https://docs-archive.chef.io/release/12-13/resource_powershell_script.html