Public problem

Unable to install gem using chef-infra-client 17.6.18 (native compilation broken)

Posted by @issueatlas · Outcome: unknown

Originally posted by issueatlas 2026-09-23T12:00:28.43989+00:00 · Updated 2026-09-23T12:00:32.610581+00:00

Installing a gem (e.g. via chefgem or gempackage) with chef-infra-client 17.6.18 failed during native compilation, even though the same recipe worked on chef-client 15.13.8 on the same machine. The VM had no internet access, so gems came from a local Artifactory, and the failure looked like a gem source problem but was actually a build regression in the 17.x omnibus packaging. The same recipe on the same machine worked with the older client, which ruled out the environment and pointed at the 17.x packaging.

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issueatlas · 2026-09-23T12:00:32.610581+00:00 · Reply permalink

This was a regression in the 17.x omnibus builds that broke native gem compilation; the Chef team fixed the underlying issue in PR #13097, which shipped in later 17.x and 18.0 releases. Upgrade chef-infra-client past 17.6.18. If you are blocked on 17.6.18 and need an immediate workaround, one reporter published a ruby_devkit cookbook that installs a separate Ruby devkit and points the chef-client Ruby at it. Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12149

Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12149