Contributing to our momentum in 2025, we are elated to bring to you the newest update to the Progress Chef Infra Client product a.k.a. Chef 19!
After months of burning the midnight oil, our engineers have delivered what you asked for and more. This release brings Chef Habitat-based package delivery, Long Term Support (LTS), enhanced licensing controls and a remarkable increase in build speed across Linux, Windows and MacOS platforms.
Building on the robustness of its predecessors, Chef 19 also offers agentless support for esoteric platforms like AIX and Solaris and introduces the Test Kitchen Enterprise; an enterprise version of the Test Kitchen with features and drivers tailored to enterprise needs.
In this blog, we will explore the key Chef 19 changes and features and how they compare to our previous Chef versions, specifically 14, 16 and 18.
Let’s dive into the updates and how they compare to Chef 16 onward.
What’s New in the Chef 19 Solution?
Chef 19 is the long-term supported version of Chef Infra Client 19, promising enterprise stability and several other benefits, including:
1. Habitat-Based Package Delivery: One of the most significant changes in Chef 19 is the transition from Omnibus to Habitat-based package delivery. With Habitat, users can expect a 10x increase in build speed and an enhanced upgrade and installation experience.
2. Long-Term Support (LTS): Chef 19 introduces long-term support for a minimum of three years that allows customers to allot resources on predictable schedules. With LTS, you can allocate resources with a predictable schedule in mind, maintaining your resources are up-to-date and compliant.
3. Enhanced Licensing Controls: Introducing licensing across the product suite for better visibility and control. You can now manage your Chef deployments more effectively and gain greater insight into your licensing status.
4. New Migration Tool: The new migration tool helps you seamlessly transition from an omnibus build to a Habitat-based build. This improved upgrade experience is designed to minimize downtime and provide a seamless transition to the new version.
5. Enhanced Agentless Capabilities: With Chef 19, you can access 90 new agentless resources. This feature is particularly useful for environments where agent installation is not feasible. The new release expands out-of-the-box resources supporting agentless mode, supporting nodes on AIX and Solaris.
6. Improved Chef Workstation: The new and improved modularized Chef Workstation wraps tools such as Cookstyle, InSpec 7 and Test Kitchen Enterprise into Habitat packages.
7. Latest Test Kitchen Enterprise (TKE): This new version of Test Kitchen brings robust capabilities to our enterprise customers. The Test Kitchen Enterprise is now part of the Chef Workstation Habitat package and will be bundled with Cookstyle and InSpec 7.
8. Chef InSpec 7: With InSpec 7, we’re introducing Modularized Resource Packs, enabling more scalable and flexible compliance automation. It will be shipped with Ruby 3.4x. The Habitat-based package delivery also enables faster releases and streamlined patch cycles.
Upgrading Chef: How Version 19 Stacks Up Against Chef 14, 16 and 18
Chef 19 features a whole new package delivery system, a move from the Omnibus build to the Habitat-based build and other key changes, like the Test Kitchen Enterprise.
Let’s have a look at how Infra Client has evolved from version 14 to version 19:
The Chef 19 solution was designed with you in mind. Whether you manage a small environment or a large enterprise, Chef 19 provides the features and tools necessary to streamline operations and stay ahead of the curve. If you would like more info on the new Chef 19, please contact us.
Start your journey to faster and more efficient infrastructure management. Stay tuned for more Chef 19 updates!