[chef] Sending HTTP Request ... NoMethodError: undefined method `closed?' for nil:NilClass

[Jeff Blaine < >]

We have one host that is being testy while getting itself
set up with Chef 11.4.0. Any ideas would be welcome. Using
--log_level debug is not proving helpful.

240 others have self-registered via this method just fine.

/etc/chef/validation.pem exists and is correct.

/etc/chef/boot.json file:

    {
        "run_list": ["role[rcf-basic-rhel]"]
    }

/etc/chef/client.rb we drop in place before the 1st run:

    log_level        :auto
    log_location     STDOUT
    chef_server_url  "https://cm-master.our.org";
    validation_client_name "chef-validator"
    # Using default node name (fqdn)
    http_proxy        "http://gatekeeper.our.org";
    https_proxy       "http://gatekeeper.our.org";

    file_backup_path   "/var/chef/backup"
    file_cache_path    "/var/chef/cache"
    cache_options({ :path => "/var/chef/cache/checksums", :skip_expires 
=> true })

    # set the proxy env variable so rubygems works correctly
    ENV['http_proxy'] = "http://gatekeeper.our.org";
    ENV['HTTP_PROXY'] = "http://gatekeeper.our.org";

    Ohai::Config[:disabled_plugins] =  ["passwd"]

The 1st run on the node and its failure:

chef-client --log_level debug --environment production -j 
/etc/chef/boot.json

...
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] INFO: Client key /etc/chef/client.pem is not 
present - registering
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] DEBUG: Signing the request as chef-validator
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] DEBUG: Using gatekeeper.our.org:80 for proxy
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] DEBUG: Sending HTTP Request via POST to 
cm-master.our.org:443/clients
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to 
/var/chef/cache/chef-stacktrace.out
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] DEBUG: NoMethodError: undefined method 
`closed?' for nil:NilClass
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:2788:in `stream_check'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:2708:in `read_body'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:2735:in `body'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/error_inspectors/registration_error_inspector.rb:131:in 
`rescue in format_rest_error'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/error_inspectors/registration_error_inspector.rb:129:in 
`format_rest_error'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/error_inspectors/registration_error_inspector.rb:85:in 
`humanize_http_exception'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/error_inspectors/registration_error_inspector.rb:25:in 
`add_explanation'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/error_mapper.rb:32:in 
`registration_failed'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/formatters/base.rb:135:in 
`registration_failed'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/event_dispatch/dispatcher.rb:29:in 
`block in registration_failed'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/event_dispatch/dispatcher.rb:29:in 
`each'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/event_dispatch/dispatcher.rb:29:in 
`registration_failed'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/client.rb:361:in 
`rescue in register'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/client.rb:345:in 
`register'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/client.rb:454:in 
`do_run'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/client.rb:200:in 
`run'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/application.rb:190:in 
`run_chef_client'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/application/client.rb:297:in 
`block in run_application'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/application/client.rb:290:in 
`loop'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/application/client.rb:290:in 
`run_application'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/lib/chef/application.rb:73:in 
`run'
/opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/chef-11.4.0/bin/chef-client:26:in 
`<top (required)>'
/usr/bin/chef-client:23:in `load'
/usr/bin/chef-client:23:in `<main>'
[2013-07-08T15:15:09-04:00] FATAL: NoMethodError: undefined method 
`closed?' for nil:NilClass