Using Test Kitchen and ChefDK, one can test Chef cookbooks across multiple platforms. Key steps include: 1. Installing Chefdk, Docker and generating a new cookbook with boilerplate files and tests. 2. Configuring .kitchen.yml to define platforms, suites, attributes, and dependencies. 3. Adding nodes, data bags, and environments to test integration. 4. Iteratively developing code and running kitchen create, converge, verify on instances to test changes, and finally kitchen test to run all suites and platforms.

1. Using Test Kitchen
for testing Chef cookbooks

2. Installation
$ brew cask install chefdk
==> Satisfying dependencies
==> Downloading https://packages.chef.io/files/stable/chefdk/2.1.11/mac_os_x/
10.12/chefdk-2.1.11-1.dmg
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Verifying checksum for Cask chefdk
==> Installing Cask chefdk
==> Running installer for chefdk; your password may be necessary.
==> Package installers may write to any location; options such as --appdir are
ignored.
==> installer: Package name is Chef Development Kit
==> installer: Installing at base path /
==> installer: The install was successful.
🍺 chefdk was successfully installed!
$ kitchen version
Test Kitchen version 1.17.0
$
You’ll also need to have Docker installed and working.

3. Basic Test-Kitchen
commands

4. Basic commands:
kitchen list
• kitchen list: browse available VMs and their status:
$ kitchen list
Instance Driver Provisioner Verifier Transport Last Action Last Error
default-ubuntu-1204-11 Docker ChefZero Inspec Ssh <Created> <None>
default-ubuntu-1204-latest Docker ChefZero Inspec Ssh <Not Created> <None>
default-ubuntu-1604-11 Docker ChefZero Inspec Ssh <Not Created> <None>
default-ubuntu-1604-latest Docker ChefZero Inspec Ssh <Not Created> <None>

5. Basic commands:
kitchen test
• kitchen test: run the tests
$ time kitchen test default-ubuntu-1204-11
-----> Starting Kitchen (v1.17.0)
-----> Cleaning up any prior instances of <default-ubuntu-1204-11>
-----> Creating <default-ubuntu-1204-11>…
-----> Converging <default-ubuntu-1204-11>…
-----> Installing Chef Omnibus (11.18.6)
Starting Chef Client, version 11.18.6
Converging 1 resources
Recipe: jfrog::default
* remote_file[jfrog-cli] action create
- create new file /usr/local/bin/jfrog-cli
Chef Client finished, 1/1 resources updated in 13.388088718 seconds
-----> Verifying <default-ubuntu-1204-11>...
Loaded tests from test/smoke/default
Command jfrog-cli
✔ should exist
Test Summary: 1 successful, 0 failures, 0 skipped
-----> Destroying <default-ubuntu-1204-11>...
-----> Kitchen is finished. (1m13.38s)
real 1m14.228s

6. Testing phases
• kitchen create: Start an instance (or several)
• kitchen converge: Run chef in the instance
• kitchen verify: Run automated tests
• kitchen destroy: Destroy one or more instances
• kitchen test: destroy -> create -> converge -> verify -
> destroy
• kitchen login: ssh into the instance

7. My workflow
1. kitchen create default-ubuntu-1204-11
2. Work on cookbook/tests
3. kitchen converge default-ubuntu-1204-11 #
make sure there are no errors
4. kitchen verify default-ubuntu-1204-11
5. repeat 2-4
6. Run tests for all OSes and Chef versions:
kitchen test # with no params

8. .kitchen.yml

9. .kitchen.yml sections
---
driver:
name: docker
use_sudo: false
use_cache: true
provision_command:
- apt-get update
- apt-get -y dist-upgrade
- apt-get install -y iputils-ping net-tools telnet vim
dnsutils less
run_command: sh -c 'apt-get update && exec /sbin/init'
disable_upstart: false
<% if ENV['KITCHEN_PRIVILEGED'] %>
## enable this if you need extra capabilities like mounting
volumes or running systemd
## requires Docker privileged mode enabled or crashes the run
otherwise
privileged: true
<% end %>

10. .kitchen.yml sections
platforms:
- name: ubuntu-12.04-11
driver:
image: ubuntu-upstart:12.04 # upstart doesn't work in stock ubuntu image
provisioner:
require_chef_omnibus: 11.18.6
- name: ubuntu-12.04-latest
driver:
image: ubuntu-upstart:12.04 # upstart doesn't work in stock ubuntu image
provisioner:
require_chef_omnibus: latest
<% if ENV['KITCHEN_PRIVILEGED'] %>
## systemd doesn't work in non-privileged mode
- name: ubuntu-16.04-11
driver:
image: ubuntu:16.04
provisioner:
require_chef_omnibus: 11.18.6
- name: ubuntu-16.04-latest
driver:
image: ubuntu:16.04
provisioner:
require_chef_omnibus: latest
<% end %>

11. .kitchen.yml sections
suites:
- name: default
run_list:
# - recipe[configure_kitchen_vm] # uncomment if you need setup
for tests
- recipe[jfrog::default]
verifier:
inspec_tests:
- test/smoke/default
attributes:
search_roles:
distfiles: reposerver
local_infrastructure_env: lienv

12. Configuration around
cookbooks
• Attributes: set up in .kitchen.yml
• Nodes (for search): test/integration/nodes
• Data bags: test/integration/data_bags
• Environments: test/integration/environments

13. Example node
test/integration/nodes/reposerver.json:
{
"name": "reposerver-01",
"chef_environment": “lienv",
"run_list": [
"role[reposerver]"
],
"normal": {
"distfiles": {
"path": "distfiles"
},
"tags": [
]
},
"automatic": {
"ipaddress": “192.168.40.40"
}
}

14. Dependencies/setup
Berksfile:
source 'https://supermarket.chef.io'
metadata
cookbook 'cheflib', git: 'git@bitbucket.org:myorg/chef-
cheflib.git'
cookbook 'jfrog', git: 'git@bitbucket.org:myorg/chef-jfrog.git'
cookbook 'unicorn-ng', git: 'git@bitbucket.org:myorg/chef-
unicorn-ng.git', branch: 'dev'
### Uncomment and edit if you need special setup for running
tests
group :integration do
cookbook 'configure_kitchen_vm', path: 'test/fixtures/
cookbooks/configure_kitchen_vm'
end

15. InSpec tests
require_relative '../spec_helper'
describe command('/opt/app/embedded/bin/ruby') do
it { should exist }
end
describe command('/opt/app/embedded/bin/ruby --version') do
its(:stdout) { should match /2.3.1/ }
end
describe service('app_service') do
it { should be_enabled }
it { should be_running }
end
describe processes('unicorn') do
its('list.length') { should eq 11 } # 10 worker threads + master
end

16. So much boilerplate?
• git clone https://bitbucket.org/myorg/chef-generator
use stock generator or copy from ChefDK for own modifications
• add to your knife.rb/config.rb:
chefdk.generator_cookbook = ‘/path/to/chef-generator’
• Generate all the boilerplate:
$ chef generate cookbook mynewcookbook
Your cookbook is ready. Type `cd my_new_app` to enter it.
$ cd mynewcookbook; ls -1
Berksfile
CHANGELOG.md
Gemfile
README.md
chefignore
cleanup.sh
metadata.rb
recipes
run_lints.sh
run_tests.sh
spec
test

17. Summarize
• Have ChefDK, Docker and generator cookbook installed and configured
• chef generate cookbook mynewcookbook
• Create tests and code
• Update Berksfile if you need dependencies for other cookbooks
• Add attributes to .kitchen.yml, nodes and envs to test/
integration/* as needed
• kitchen create/converge/verify default-ubuntu-1204-11
• At the very end run kitchen tests without params to confirm everything
works on all platforms