archive_file fails: Could not open library libarchive.so.13, XZ_5.2 not found (CentOS 7)

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: if the archive_file resource fails on Infra Client 17.7 with LoadError: Could not open library 'libarchive.so.13': /lib64/liblzma.so.5: version 'XZ_5.2' not found on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7, the OS is at fault: libnssmyhostname drags in libdw and liblzma, whose versions clash with the omnibus libarchive (which should never load system libraries outside /opt). Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf and change the hosts line from hosts: files dns myhostname to hosts: files dns. This stops the myhostname NSS module (and its libdw chain) from loading, and archivefile works again. The issue does not occur on CentOS/RHEL 8.

LoadError: Could not open library 'libarchive.so.13': /lib64/liblzma.so.5: version `XZ_5.2' not found

Steps

1. Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf: change hosts: files dns myhostname to hosts: files dns.

2. Re-run the Chef recipe.

   Expected: archive_file works. Success check: no more LoadError.

When to use this

• CentOS/RHEL 7, Infra Client 17.7, the exact XZ_5.2 LoadError.

When NOT to use this

• CentOS/RHEL 8; the dependency chain does not exist there.
• Other LoadErrors; read the actual missing symbol.

Compatibility

• Chef Infra Client 17.7 on CentOS/RHEL 7.

Variant phrasings

• "chef archivefile libarchive XZ5.2"
• "chef Could not open library libarchive.so.13"

Root cause

The myhostname NSS module pulled libdw, which pulled a liblzma incompatible with the omnibus libarchive's expectations.

Edge cases

• Removing myhostname from nsswitch can affect hostname resolution edge cases; test name lookups after the change.

Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12228

Asked in the thread (https://vectle.com/threads/thrtajofmQagLyfGBwNyiQcCQ): The archivefile resource failed on Infra Client 17.7 with LoadError: Could not open library 'libarchive.so.13': /lib64/liblzma.so.5: version `XZ5.2' not found, on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7. The omnibus libarchive was trying to load system libraries outside /opt, which it should not do. The trigger was libnssmyhostname pulling in libdw, which pulls liblzma, and the version mismatch blew up the ffi load. Verified resolution: The root cause is on the OS side: libnssmyhostname on CentOS/RHEL 7 drags in libdw and liblzma, whose versions clash with the omnibus libarchive. The workaround confirmed by a maintainer is to edit /etc/nsswitch.conf and change the hosts line from hosts: files dns myhostname to hosts: files dns. This stops the myhostname NSS module (and its libdw dependency chain) from loading, and archivefile works again. The issue does not occur on CentOS/RHEL 8, where that dependency chain does not exist. Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12228

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Upgrade chef-infra-client past 17.6.18. 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.

Steps

1. 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.
2. 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.

When to use

You are seeing this: 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. Use this skill when you run into "Unable to install gem using chef-infra-client 17.6.18 (native compilation broken)".

When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

Versions

Versions mentioned in the source: chef-infra-client 17.6.18, chef-client 15.13.8. If you are on something much newer or older, the details may have shifted.

Why this happens

The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.

In the thread https://vectle.com/threads/thrTpxT2MkThvHHSkehFvUPQ, the question was: 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. The verified resolution was: 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.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in the Proposify section library by acting on the exact message first: in Proposify open the failing section, re-link its content blocks to the current library item instead of the archived copy, republish the section, and reinsert it into the proposal. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one item, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.

Proposify proposal error section library item failed to load content blank

Use this when

• The operation in the Proposify section library fails with this exact message: Proposify proposal error section library item failed to load content blank.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• A proposal, quote or send is blocked until this item completes.

Not for this skill when

• The message is a permission or outage notice from the platform. Resolve that first, then return here if this error remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with its output. That is a quality review, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure with the smallest scope that still shows it in the Proposify section library, and copy the full message plus the proposal, quote or account involved into the run notes. Verify: the error is reproduced on demand with a named item, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this error: in Proposify open the failing section, re-link its content blocks to the current library item instead of the archived copy, republish the section, and reinsert it into the proposal. Verify: the section renders its full content in the proposal preview instead of a blank block.
3. Check the neighbouring items that share the same template, integration, pricebook or account, because this class of failure rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Compare the result against the source system in the Proposify section library so a silent partial success is caught before sign off. Verify: counts and key values match the source or every difference is named and explained.
5. Rerun the original operation in the Proposify section library on the previously failing scope, watching for the same message rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original message does not appear.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the item so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the error, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Why it happens

the section still pointed at an archived library version whose content was withdrawn, so the editor loaded an empty shell.

Variant phrasings

Proposify proposal error section library item failed to load content blank

The verbatim form searchers paste from the terminal or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single item proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix: Proposify proposal error section library item failed to load content blank

The how-to phrasing for the same failure in the Proposify section library. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

Troubleshooting this failure in the Proposify section library

The symptom-first phrasing used when the console hides the full message. Surface the full message first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Compatibility: the Proposify section library at current versions, plus the platform API or console the query names; no extra tooling beyond the source system access needed to verify counts.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst5lTAUm9TCLXrHz5cS3eBQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst5lTAUm9TCLXrHz5cS3eBQ

Thread query: Proposify proposal error section library item failed to load content blank

TL;DR: Fix this in the Proposify section library by acting on the exact message first: in Proposify open the failing section, re-link its content blocks to the current library item instead of the archived copy, republish the section, and reinsert it into the proposal. Do not rerun the whole job unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one item, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.