Downgrading throws "undefined method `allow_downgrade' for Chef::Resource::AptPackage"

[schisamo]

Cookbook version

2.1.10

Chef-client version

13.6.2

Platform Details

Ubuntu 16.04

Scenario:

Downgrading a product is throwing:

 * apt_package[delivery] action upgrade
 
 ================================================================================
 Error executing action `upgrade` on resource 'apt_package[delivery]'
 ================================================================================
 
 NoMethodError
 -------------
 undefined method `allow_downgrade' for Chef::Resource::AptPackage
 
 Resource Declaration:
 ---------------------
 # In /var/chef/cache/cookbooks/chef-ingredient/libraries/default_handler.rb
 
  55:       package new_resource.product_name do # ~FC009
  56:         action action_name
  57:         package_name ingredient_package_name
  58:         options new_resource.options
  59:         source local_path || new_resource.package_source
  60:         timeout new_resource.timeout if new_resource.timeout
  61:         provider value_for_platform_family(
  62:           'debian'  => Chef::Provider::Package::Dpkg,
  63:           'rhel'    => node['platform_version'].to_i == 5 ? Chef::Provider::Package::Rpm : Chef::Provider::Package::Yum,
  64:           'suse'    => Chef::Provider::Package::Rpm,
  65:           'windows' => Chef::Provider::Package::Windows
  66:         )
  67:         if new_resource.product_name == 'chef'
  68:           # We define this resource in ChefIngredientProvider
  69:           notifies :run, 'ruby_block[stop chef run]', :immediately
  70:         end
  71:       end
 
 Compiled Resource:
 ------------------
 # Declared in /var/chef/cache/cookbooks/chef-ingredient/libraries/default_handler.rb:55:in `configure_from_source_package'
 
 apt_package("delivery") do
   package_name "automate"
   provider Chef::Provider::Package::Dpkg
   action [:upgrade]
   default_guard_interpreter :default
   declared_type :package
   cookbook_name "automate-deploy"
   options nil
   source "/var/chef/cache/automate_1.7.39-1_amd64.deb"
 end
 
 System Info:
 ------------
 chef_version=13.6.2
 platform=ubuntu
 platform_version=16.04
 ruby=ruby 2.4.2p198 (2017-09-14 revision 59899) [x86_64-linux]
 program_name=chef-client worker: ppid=26146;start=19:29:07;
 executable=/opt/chef/bin/chef-client

[wrightp]

@schisamo I'll save you all the experimentation I conducted, but it looks like there's a conflict with the package resource's :upgrade action when used with the source property. I was able to replicate this error using apt_package and package directly.

Try changing the resource's action to :install. This worked for me:

chef_ingredient 'automate-1.7' do
  product_name 'automate'
  version '1.7'
end

chef_ingredient 'automate-1.6' do
  product_name 'automate'
  version '1.6'
end

[schisamo]

@wrightp If we use action :install instead of action :upgrade will upgrades still occur when available in the configured channel?

[wrightp]

If you are setting package_source it will always install the specified package. If you are relying on channel and version, mixlib-install will always install a later version if found.

For example:

chef_ingredient 'automate-1.6' do
  product_name 'automate'
  version '1.6'
end
  
# installs 1.7.39
chef_ingredient 'automate-latest' do
  product_name 'automate'
end

[wrightp]

This is just a workaround though as it looks like a bug in chef