[chef] Defining attributes for cookbook in recipe has different behavior than attributes from roles

[William Jimenez < >]

Hello

1. I'm using the opscode chef-client cookbook, and I am trying to define attributes for the cookbook from a wrapper recipe, however they don't seem to be honored. When I define them in a role the node is in, it works however (working meaning chef_client operates on the attributes). What is different about the two?
   

Here is my attributes file: 

exception_mail_template = "/opt/chef/mail_hanlder_template.erb"

default['chef-client']['config']['exception_handlers'] = [ 

  {"class" => "MailHandler", "arguments" => [{:template_path => "#{exception_mail_template}"}]

    }]

default['chef-client']['load_gems'] = [

  {"chef-handler-mail" => {"require_name" => "chef/handler/mail"}

  }]

and portion of my recipe where I call chef_client

# Exception handling for chef client runs

chef_gem "chef-handler-mail" do

   action :install

end

# Install exception handler email template

exception_mail_template = "/opt/chef/mail_hanlder_template.erb"

cookbook_file "#{exception_mail_template}" do 

  source "mail_handler.erb"

end

          

include_recipe "chef-client::config"

Thanks