The Chef Community MySQL cookbook does not allow a mysql server with no root password when using chef-solo. That's how I like it for easy test VMs, so I made these change to it. Consider this an obvious change. Take it as you please. YMMV.

mysql_cookbook.diff

diff --git a/cookbooks/mysql/libraries/helpers.rb b/cookbooks/mysql/libraries/he
index c850233..1a5d99c 100644
--- a/cookbooks/mysql/libraries/helpers.rb
+++ b/cookbooks/mysql/libraries/helpers.rb
@@ -30,15 +30,18 @@ module Opscode
       end

       def assign_root_password_cmd
+        return nil unless node['mysql']['server_root_password']
         str = '/usr/bin/mysqladmin'
         str << ' -u root password '
         str << node['mysql']['server_root_password']
       end

       def install_grants_cmd
+        password = node['mysql']['server_root_password']
+        password_is_blank = password.nil? || password.empty?
         str = '/usr/bin/mysql'
         str << ' -u root '
-        node['mysql']['server_root_password'].empty? ? str << ' < /etc/mysql_gr
+        password_is_blank ? str << ' < /etc/mysql_grants.sql' : str << " -p#{pa
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/_server_rhel.rb b/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/_
index b4d215a..1042f09 100644
--- a/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/_server_rhel.rb
+++ b/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/_server_rhel.rb
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ execute '/usr/bin/mysql_install_db' do
   only_if { node['platform_version'].to_i < 6 }
 end

-cmd = assign_root_password_cmd
-execute 'assign-root-password' do
-  command cmd
-  action :run
-  only_if "/usr/bin/mysql -u root -e 'show databases;'"
+if cmd = assign_root_password_cmd
+  execute 'assign-root-password' do
+    command cmd
+    action :run
+    only_if "/usr/bin/mysql -u root -e 'show databases;'"
+  end
 end

 template '/etc/mysql_grants.sql' do
diff --git a/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/server.rb b/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/server.
index 8a57638..8f5a1fe 100644
--- a/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/server.rb
+++ b/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/server.rb
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ if Chef::Config[:solo]
   ].select { |attr| node['mysql'][attr].nil? }.map { |attr| %Q{node['mysql']['#

   unless missing_attrs.empty?
-    Chef::Application.fatal! "You must set #{missing_attrs.join(', ')} in chef-
-    " For more information, see https://github.com/opscode-cookbooks/mysql#chef
+    log "MySQL root user will not require a password." do
+      level :warn
+    end
   end
 else
   # generate all passwords