Pretty much what every python web dev should do when starting a new project

default-app-recipe.rb

# Defaults that we'll need

include_recipe "apt"

package "vim"
package "screen"
package "git-core"
package "mercurial"
package "subversion"
package "python"
package "python-dev"
package "htop"
package "libjpeg62"
package "libjpeg62-dev"
package "curl"
package "libssl-dev"
package "python-memcache"

include_recipe "build-essential"
include_recipe "openssl"
include_recipe "postfix"
include_recipe "python"
include_recipe "nodejs"
include_recipe "coffeescript"
include_recipe "sass"
include_recipe "logrotate"

# The user we're operating as
user = node[:user]

# Set up user
user user do 
    home "/home/#{user}"
    shell "/bin/bash"
    action [:create, :manage]
    supports :manage_home => true
end

directory "/home/#{user}" do
  owner user
  group user
end

# Make Python remember our sessions
cookbook_file "/etc/profile.d/pythonrc.sh" do
    source "profile.d/pythonrc.sh"
    cookbook "dotfiles"
    owner "root"
end

cookbook_file "/home/#{user}/.pythonrc.py" do 
    source "home/.pythonrc.py"
    cookbook "dotfiles"
    owner user
end

# Set up the virtual environment in the user's home folder
python_virtualenv "/home/#{user}" do
    owner user
    group user
    action :create
end

# Create logging folder
directory "/var/log/#{user}" do
    owner user
    mode "0744"
    action :create
end

# And make sure we're also rotating its contents
logrotate_app "#{user}" do
  cookbook "logrotate"
  path "/var/log/#{user}/*.log"
  frequency "daily"
  rotate 52
  create "644 #{user} adm"
end