[chef] Chef server refusing to provide some files

["Julian C. Dunn" < >]

We're having a problem with our Chef (10.12) server where it's
refusing to provide some files to clients. For example, I have a
"collectd" cookbook with a files/default/redis_info.py, but when I try
to run the recipe that requires it, the Chef server refuses to give me
the file. I keep getting

[2012-10-09T14:03:00-04:00] FATAL: NoMethodError: undefined method
`source' for Chef::Resource::File

and inspecting the cookbook cache on the client, I see no "files"
directory under the relevant cookbook.

Downloading the cookbook by hand using "knife cookbook download" from
the Chef server works fine. What could be wrong?

- Julian