cChocoPackageInstall doesn't check that the package was actually installed

[Richiban]

I've noticed a problem with cChocoPackageInstall -- if the package failed to install (due to the source being misconfigured or the version or package name simply not existing) it's not an error. The failure is logged in the verbose output but the DSC configuration silently continues.

This is a pretty nasty surprise; it appears that the DSC you ran completed successfully but in fact some packages were not installed.

[javydekoning]

Can you provide a scenario to replicate?

[Richiban]

Sure! This is all it takes:

Configuration FailingDsc
{
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName cChoco
    
    Node localhost
    {
        cChocoInstaller InstallChocolatey
        {
            InstallDir = "c:\choco"
        }

        cChocoPackageInstaller FailingInstaller
        {
            DependsOn = "[cChocoInstaller]InstallChocolatey"
            Name = "This-package-name-has-a-typo"
        }
    }
}

I'm running this with Start-DscConfiguration -wait FailingDsc, which exits without errors. Running with -verbose yields the following log entry:

VERBOSE: [xxxxxxxx]: [[cChocoPackageInstaller]FailingInstaller] Package output
Chocolatey v0.10.3 Installing the following packages: This-package-name-has-a-typo By installing you accept licenses
for the packages. This-package-name-has-a-typo not installed. The package was not found with the source(s) listed.  If
 you specified a particular version and are receiving this message, it is possible that the package name exists but
the version does not.  Version: ""  Source(s):

[javydekoning]

Thanks, once I have some extra time I'll implement something to validate the installer exitcodes and write pester tests :).

[Richiban]

Cool, thanks. I was thinking that there's already a function defined "IsPackageInstalled" that I can call at the end of the package installation process, which appears to work.

Does this sound like a good idea? If so, I can submit a PR.

[javydekoning]

I think it would be better to throw an error if the package install fails. The IsPackageInstalled is intended to get and test the DSC config.

[Richiban]

Okay sure. I've created a PR https://github.com/Richiban/cChoco/pull/1 -- I'm not asking you to actually merge it in but just to demonstrate what I meant.

Thanks

[gmatusko]

Any updates on this, it would be handy for the DSC resource to kick back an error if the package actually failed to install. Right now any depending resources on the package installing successfully will subsequently fail which is fine but would be good to know the root cause of the failure was the install of the package.

[ferventcoder]

This is set to up for grabs for someone to take a look at.

[elovelan]

I'm looking to pick this up. Does anyone know why it's using Invoke-Expression for all of the choco calls? Error handling is a bit more challenging when using that.

$packageInstallOuput, $exitCode = Invoke-Expression -Command "(choco install $pName $chocoinstallparams), $?"

vs

$packageInstallOuput = choco install $pName @chocoinstallparams
$exitCode = $?

On second thought, this is probably for the best, I've run into a few Chocolatey packages that can't be installed by the System user and this makes it easier to enhance with a Credential parameter for those of us stuck on PS 4.0 (PR likely coming for that as well)