apt-get install in chef without starting service This is horrible. fake the apt-get install into thinking it's runlevel 1, so that it doesn't start the service.

gistfile1.rb

execute "install ejabberd w/o starting it" do
  action :run
  command "apt-get install -y ejabberd"
  creates "/etc/ejabberd"
  cwd "/tmp"
  environment ({'RUNLEVEL' => '1'}) # STUPID HACK OF FAIL
  user "root"
  group "root"
  timeout 3600
  returns 0
end