[chef] Overriding cookbook attributes in a role - am I doing it wrong?

[Mike Williams < >]

I have an attribute default set in a cookbook attributes file:

default[:lmds][:database][:host] = "localhost"

which I'm attempting to override in a role:

$ knife role show lmds-app -a default_attributes

{

  "default_attributes": {

    "lmds": {

      "database": {

        "host": "i-3F2007E9"

      }

    }

  }

}

I then apply that role to a node:

$ knife node show -r i-3DBB07DC.ec.int.realestate.com.au

{

  "run_list": [

    "role[lmds-app]"

  ]

}

However, the node is picking up the cookbook-default, "localhost", rather than the value specified in the role.  Based on the documentation on the Chef Wiki, I thought the role would trump the cookbook.  Am I doing the override incorrectly?

If I put the override in _node_ attributes, rather than the role, then it works ... but I don't want to have to do that for every node.

-- 

cheers, 

Mike Williams