the http_request resource seems to have a bug in chef 0.10.10 and the workaround is only for >= 0.10.12, so doing without it.

http://tickets.opscode.com/browse/CHEF-3218

Author: Todd Evanoff

cookbooks/jenkins/recipes/default.rb

@@ -64,17 +64,7 @@
     backup false
     owner node[:jenkins][:server][:user]
     group node[:jenkins][:server][:group]
-    action :nothing
-  end
-
-  http_request "HEAD #{node[:jenkins][:mirror]}/latest/#{name}.hpi" do
-    message ""
-    url "#{node[:jenkins][:mirror]}/latest/#{name}.hpi"
-    action :head
-    if File.exists?("#{node[:jenkins][:server][:home]}/plugins/#{name}.hpi")
-      headers "If-Modified-Since" => File.mtime("#{node[:jenkins][:server][:home]}/plugins/#{name}.hpi").httpdate
-    end
-    notifies :create, resources(:remote_file => "#{node[:jenkins][:server][:home]}/plugins/#{name}.hpi"), :immediately
+    action :create_if_missing
   end
 end