Skip to main content

User data

User data (Cloud-init) automatically configures Bare Metal GPU servers after bootup. These scripts are typically used for initial configuration of a server and run on the first boot.

Deploying with user data lets you run arbitrary commands and modify various aspects of the server during provisioning.

Here are some examples of what you can do with user data scripts:

Creating a user and installing basic packages​

#cloud-config
users:
  - name: cloud_user
    ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz... user@domain
    sudo: "ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL"
    groups: sudo
    shell: /bin/bash
packages:
  - git
  - htop

What this script does:

  1. Creates a user named cloud_user.
  2. Adds an SSH key to allow secure remote login.
  3. Installs packages like git (version control) and htop (system monitor).

How you can test it:

To login, use a command of this form:

ssh -i /.ssh/id_rsa maas_user@10.192.226.195

You can then test further by running htop and trying git commands.

Setting up SSH keys for multiple users​

#cloud-config
users:
  - default
  - name: user1
    ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz... user1@domain
  - name: user2
    ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz... user2@domain

What this script does:

  1. Sets up a default user.
  2. Creates user1 and user2 with their own SSH keys for secure login.

Installing Docker​

#cloud-config
packages:
  - docker.io
runcmd:
  - systemctl enable docker
  - systemctl start docker

What this script does:

  1. Installs Docker on the machine.
  2. Enables and starts Docker so it runs whenever the machine boots up.