default.rb

include_recipe "apt"
include_recipe "python"

execute "upgrade packages" do
    command "apt-get -y upgrade"
    action :nothing
end.run_action(:run)

package 'vim'
package 'python-setuptools'
package 'python'

# create virtualenvs directory
directory "/usr/local/virtualenvs" do
    owner "vagrant"
    group "vagrant"
    mode 0755
end

# install virtualenvwrapper
python_pip "virtualenvwrapper"

# add the profile file for the vagrant user
cookbook_file "/home/vagrant/.profile" do
    source "profile"
    owner "vagrant"
    group "vagrant"
    mode 0600
end

# add a virtualenv for the django-base-site project
python_virtualenv "/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site" do
    owner "vagrant"
    group "vagrant"
    options "--distribute"
    action :create
end

# install python requirements for the project
python_pip "-r /vagrant/config/requirements/dev.txt" do
    virtualenv "/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site"
    user "vagrant"
end

# Add /vagrant to the python path
cookbook_file "/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/lib/python2.6/site-packages/_virtualenv_path_extensions.pth" do
    source "_virtualenv_path_extensions.pth"
    owner "vagrant"
    group "root"
    mode 0664
end

bash "run_syncdb" do
      user "vagrant"
      cwd "/tmp"
      code <<-EOH
      source /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/activate
      SECRET_KEY='my-secret-key-only-for-development' django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate --settings='config.settings.development'
      EOH
end

error.out

oconnor at brent-mbp in ~/vagrant_guide on vagrant!
[231] $ v provision                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ✘
[default] Running provisioner: Vagrant::Provisioners::ChefSolo...
[default] Generating chef JSON and uploading...
[default] Running chef-solo...
stdin: is not a tty
[2013-02-18T06:58:30+01:00] INFO: *** Chef 10.14.2 ***
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Setting the run_list to ["recipe[dev]"] from JSON
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Run List is [recipe[dev]]
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Run List expands to [dev]
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Starting Chef Run for lucid32.hsd1.ca.comcast.net.
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Running start handlers
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Start handlers complete.
[2013-02-18T06:58:31+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[apt-get update] action run (apt::default line 20)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: execute[apt-get update] ran successfully
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[upgrade packages] action run (dev::default line 4)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: execute[upgrade packages] ran successfully
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[apt-get update] action nothing (apt::default line 20)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing directory[/var/cache/local] action create (apt::default line 27)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing directory[/var/cache/local/preseeding] action create (apt::default line 27)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing package[python] action install (python::package line 40)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing package[python-dev] action install (python::package line 40)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing remote_file[/tmp/vagrant-chef-1/distribute_setup.py] action create (python::pip line 33)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[install-pip] action run (python::pip line 39)
[2013-02-18T06:58:32+01:00] INFO: Processing python_pip[virtualenv] action install (python::virtualenv line 23)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[upgrade packages] action nothing (dev::default line 4)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing package[vim] action install (dev::default line 9)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing package[python-setuptools] action install (dev::default line 10)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing package[python] action install (dev::default line 11)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing directory[/usr/local/virtualenvs] action create (dev::default line 14)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing python_pip[virtualenvwrapper] action install (dev::default line 21)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing cookbook_file[/home/vagrant/.profile] action create (dev::default line 24)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing python_virtualenv[/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site] action create (dev::default line 32)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing python_pip[-r /vagrant/config/requirements/dev.txt] action install (dev::default line 40)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Installing python_pip[-r /vagrant/config/requirements/dev.txt] version latest
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing cookbook_file[/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/lib/python2.6/site-packages/_virtualenv_path_extensions.pth] action create (dev::default line 46)
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] INFO: Processing execute[Run syncdb] action run (dev::default line 53)

================================================================================

Error executing action `run` on resource 'execute[Run syncdb]'
================================================================================

Mixlib::ShellOut::ShellCommandFailed
------------------------------------
Expected process to exit with [0], but received '1'
---- Begin output of /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate ----
STDOUT: 
STDERR: Unknown command: 'syncdb'
Type 'django-admin.py help' for usage.
---- End output of /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate ----
Ran /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate returned 1

Resource Declaration:
---------------------
# In /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/dev/recipes/default.rb

 52: 
 53: execute "Run syncdb" do
 54:     command "/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate"
 55:     user "vagrant"
 56:     environment 'DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE' => 'config.settings.development'
 57:     action :run
 58: end

Compiled Resource:
------------------
# Declared in /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-solo-1/cookbooks/dev/recipes/default.rb:53:in `from_file'

execute("Run syncdb") do
  retry_delay 2
  cookbook_name :dev
  user "vagrant"
  retries 0
  environment {"DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE"=>"config.settings.development"}
  action [:run]
  returns 0
  command "/usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate"
  recipe_name "default"
  backup 5
end

[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] ERROR: Running exception handlers
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] ERROR: Exception handlers complete
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to /tmp/vagrant-chef-1/chef-stacktrace.out
[2013-02-18T06:58:33+01:00] FATAL: Mixlib::ShellOut::ShellCommandFailed: execute[Run syncdb] (dev::default line 53) had an error: Mixlib::ShellOut::ShellCommandFailed: Expected process to exit with [0], but received '1'
---- Begin output of /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate ----
STDOUT: 
STDERR: Unknown command: 'syncdb'
Type 'django-admin.py help' for usage.
---- End output of /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate ----
Ran /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate returned 1
Chef never successfully completed! Any errors should be visible in the
output above. Please fix your recipes so that they properly complete.

vagrant_command.out

oconnor at brent-mbp in ~/vagrant_guide on vagrant!
$ vagrant ssh
Linux lucid32 2.6.32-45-generic #103-Ubuntu SMP Thu Feb 7 19:04:07 UTC 2013 i686 GNU/Linux
Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS

Welcome to Ubuntu!
 * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com/
New release 'precise' available.
Run 'do-release-upgrade' to upgrade to it.

Welcome to your Vagrant-built virtual machine.
Last login: Mon Feb 18 06:56:00 2013 from 10.0.2.2
vagrant@lucid32:/vagrant$ env
VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PROJECT_FILENAME=.project
TERM=xterm-color
SHELL=/bin/bash
SSH_CLIENT=10.0.2.2 55806 22
OLDPWD=/home/vagrant
SSH_TTY=/dev/pts/0
USER=vagrant
LS_COLORS=rs=0:di=01;34:ln=01;36:hl=44;37:pi=40;33:so=01;35:do=01;35:bd=40;33;01:cd=40;33;01:or=40;31;01:su=37;41:sg=30;43:ca=30;41:tw=30;42:ow=34;42:st=37;44:ex=01;32:*.tar=01;31:*.tgz=01;31:*.arj=01;31:*.taz=01;31:*.lzh=01;31:*.lzma=01;31:*.zip=01;31:*.z=01;31:*.Z=01;31:*.dz=01;31:*.gz=01;31:*.bz2=01;31:*.bz=01;31:*.tbz2=01;31:*.tz=01;31:*.deb=01;31:*.rpm=01;31:*.jar=01;31:*.rar=01;31:*.ace=01;31:*.zoo=01;31:*.cpio=01;31:*.7z=01;31:*.rz=01;31:*.jpg=01;35:*.jpeg=01;35:*.gif=01;35:*.bmp=01;35:*.pbm=01;35:*.pgm=01;35:*.ppm=01;35:*.tga=01;35:*.xbm=01;35:*.xpm=01;35:*.tif=01;35:*.tiff=01;35:*.png=01;35:*.svg=01;35:*.svgz=01;35:*.mng=01;35:*.pcx=01;35:*.mov=01;35:*.mpg=01;35:*.mpeg=01;35:*.m2v=01;35:*.mkv=01;35:*.ogm=01;35:*.mp4=01;35:*.m4v=01;35:*.mp4v=01;35:*.vob=01;35:*.qt=01;35:*.nuv=01;35:*.wmv=01;35:*.asf=01;35:*.rm=01;35:*.rmvb=01;35:*.flc=01;35:*.avi=01;35:*.fli=01;35:*.flv=01;35:*.gl=01;35:*.dl=01;35:*.xcf=01;35:*.xwd=01;35:*.yuv=01;35:*.axv=01;35:*.anx=01;35:*.ogv=01;35:*.ogx=01;35:*.aac=00;36:*.au=00;36:*.flac=00;36:*.mid=00;36:*.midi=00;36:*.mka=00;36:*.mp3=00;36:*.mpc=00;36:*.ogg=00;36:*.ra=00;36:*.wav=00;36:*.axa=00;36:*.oga=00;36:*.spx=00;36:*.xspf=00;36:
WORKON_HOME=/usr/local/virtualenvs
MAIL=/var/mail/vagrant
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/opt/vagrant_ruby/bin
VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_HOOK_DIR=/usr/local/virtualenvs
SECRET_KEY=my-secret-key-only-for-development
PWD=/vagrant
DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.development
LANG=en_US
SHLVL=1
HOME=/home/vagrant
LOGNAME=vagrant
SSH_CONNECTION=10.0.2.2 55806 10.0.2.15 22
LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8
LESSOPEN=| /usr/bin/lesspipe %s
VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_LOG_DIR=/usr/local/virtualenvs
LESSCLOSE=/usr/bin/lesspipe %s %s
_=/usr/bin/env
vagrant@lucid32:/vagrant$ /usr/local/virtualenvs/django-base-site/bin/django-admin.py syncdb --noinput --migrate
Syncing...
Creating tables ...
Installing custom SQL ...
Installing indexes ...
Installed 0 object(s) from 0 fixture(s)
Migrating...

Synced:
 > django.contrib.auth
 > django.contrib.contenttypes
 > django.contrib.sessions
 > django.contrib.sites
 > django.contrib.messages
 > django.contrib.staticfiles
 > grappelli
 > django.contrib.admin
 > compressor
 > south
 > debug_toolbar

Migrated:
 - 
vagrant@lucid32:/vagrant$ 

It's really hard to say without seeing the whole picture. Did you try sshing into the vagrant box and running the command by hand? First thing I'd try is add --traceback to the django-admin.py call to see if you get something a bit more useful back. Usually, this is caused by import errors or something missing from your INSTALLED_APPS I think.

Not really all that helpful, I know. :)

When I run it locally on the vagrant box it works fine. Have a look at, https://gist.github.com/epicserve/4975317#file-vagrant_command-out

@honza, figured it out, https://gist.github.com/epicserve/4975317#file-default-rb-L53