dna_hash.rb

:users  => [
  {
    :username        => "shasta",
    :full_name       => "Shasta Application",
    :password        => "$1$axBB.gQW$4MW2bY6Dd/5xAfKbJvJpx/",
    :authorized_keys => [
      "ssh-rsa xxxVnvQB/bQOOrwKK8pfEeY3TFeW/BTC71skze9+YxBYuEoTZDhzpFY9N8gRLc567iOBTuvNKVsBnELgWd/g056ulCK3SMHpTrENWsdNEp0yS319BW5Kyr0xGXkzWH2Q/SKkVWqH6bW2hFTU23fGOema+WuKc41crlNwaQVbhchiAnJCJ7RpDqyNPZKQ8h5Kw9v96d261YWxuNA0ZDqkusbkFt5h3LUoRfC/foXy7M2+tMy9CuDmC5uLJU6UCAtWRwpmGj2oTEUeCagLcyEi/Y5DS32KzvEXXwFm1PsA6iRKxfDY0qYWlVG0JXz6hVrQWRJuh3DrwuLlw==",
      "ssh-rsa xxx1yc2EAAAABJQAAAIEA13WvDodzAp9JN0YTR7F9NylTo7isVqtLssq7xlRbTjjSOfqTFMXj4hYoMaE03Y3IbwO1Zq4NPM7jT5Ulsfx5koNmOjH805n5w9Fcmhj5Ty7prXfEdfTU5jexUglR4Lq6N7bH+vDZEeoxIrGtV9lcnRpr9o7ulxK3dYrBSqKhi+k="
    ],
    :home            => "/home/shasta",
    :custom_files    => [
      { :name => ".bash_profile", :content => File.read("custom_files/shasta/bash_profile") },
      { :name => ".toprc", :content => File.read("custom_files/shasta/toprc") }
    ]
  },
]

users_cookbook.rb

#
# Cookbook Name:: users
# Recipe:: default
#

node[:users].each do |user|
  # Setup group
  group user[:username] do
    gid user[:gid] if user[:gid]
    action [ :create, :manage ]
  end

  # Setup user
  user user[:username] do
    comment  user[:comment] if user[:comment]
    uid      user[:uid] if user[:uid]
    gid      user[:gid]   || user[:username]
    home     user[:home]  || "/home/#{user[:username]}"
    shell    user[:shell] || "/bin/bash"
    password user[:password] if user[:password]
    action   [ :create, :manage ]
  end

  # Custom files
  for custom_file in user[:custom_files] || []
    template (custom_file[:path] || "#{user[:home] || "/home/#{user[:username]}"}/#{custom_file[:name]}") do
      owner user[:username]
      group user[:username]
      mode custom_file[:mode] || "0744"
      variables :content => custom_file[:content]
      source "custom.erb"
    end
  end

  # local ssh directory
  directory "/home/#{user[:username]}/.ssh" do
    owner user[:username]
    group user[:username]
    mode  "0700"
    recursive true
  end

  # local ssh keys
  template "/home/#{user[:username]}/.ssh/authorized_keys" do
    owner  user[:username]
    group  user[:username]
    mode   "0600"
    source "authorized_keys.erb"
    variables :user => user
  end if user[:authorized_keys]
end