powershell_package resource¶

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Use the powershell_package resource to install and manage packages via the PowerShell Package Manager for the Microsoft Windows platform. The powershell_package resource requires administrative access, and a source must be configured in the PowerShell Package Manager via the Register-PackageSource command or the powershell_package_source resource.

New in Chef Client 12.16.

Syntax¶

A powershell_package resource block manages a package on a node, typically by installing it. The simplest use of the powershell_package resource is:

powershell_package 'package_name'

which will install the named package using all of the default options and the default action (:install).

The powershell_package resource has the following syntax:

powershell_package 'name' do

  package_name               String, Array # defaults to 'name' if not specified
  version                    String, Array
  source                     String
  notifies                   # see description
  subscribes                 # see description
  action                     Symbol # defaults to :install if not specified
end

where:

powershell_package is the resource.
name is the name given to the resource block.
action identifies which steps the chef-client will take to bring the node into the desired state.
package_name, version, source, notifies, and subscribes are properties of this resource, with the Ruby type shown. See the “Properties” section below for more information about all of the properties that may be used with this resource.

Actions¶

:install: Default. Install a package. If a version is specified, install the specified version of the package.
:remove: Remove a package.

Properties¶

package_name

Ruby Type: String, Array

The name of the package. Default value: the name of the resource block.

version

Ruby Type: String, Array

The version of a package to be installed or upgraded.

source

Ruby Type: String

Specify the source of the package.

New in Chef Client 14.0.

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 notify 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: Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.
:delayed: Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the end of the Chef Client run.
:immediate, :immediately: Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, per resource notified.

The syntax for notifies is:

notifies :action, 'resource[name]', :timer

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.

Note that subscribes does not apply the specified action to the resource that it listens to - for example:

file '/etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt' do
   mode '0600'
   owner 'root'
end

service 'nginx' do
   subscribes :reload, 'file[/etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt]', :immediately
end

In this case the subscribes property reloads the nginx service whenever its certificate file, located under /etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt, is updated. subscribes does not make any changes to the certificate file itself, it merely listens for a change to the file, and executes the :reload action for its resource (in this example nginx) when a change is detected.

A timer specifies the point during the Chef Client run at which a notification is run. The following timers are available:

:before: Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.
:delayed: Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the end of the Chef Client run.
:immediate, :immediately: Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, per resource notified.

The syntax for subscribes is:

subscribes :action, 'resource[name]', :timer

Examples¶

Install a specific version of a package:

powershell_package 'xCertificate' do
  action :install
  version '1.1.0.0'
end

Install multiple packages:

powershell_package 'Install Multiple Packages' do
  action :install
  package_name %w(xCertificate xNetworking)
end

Install a package from a custom source:

powershell_package 'xCertificate' do
  action :install
  source 'MyGallery'
end

Install multiple packages, and specify package versions:

powershell_package 'Install Multiple Packages' do
  action :install
  package_name %w(xCertificate xNetworking)
  version ['2.0.0.0', '2.12.0.0']
end

** Install multiple packages, specifying the package version for one package but not the other:**

powershell_package 'Install Multiple Packages' do
   action :install
   package_name %w(xCertificate xNetworking)
   version [nil, '2.12.0.0']
 end

In this example, the nil tells powershell_package to install the most up to date version of xCertificate that is available, while pinning xNetworking to version 2.12.0.0.

Remove a package:

powershell_package 'xCertificate' do
  action :remove
end