chef -- create an ssh key and store it in the attributes

1 set

# Create the ssh access key
#
# Something in the node.set lines happens at the *start* of the chef
# run. It might be the node.set, or it might be the File.read, but
# either way, it happens before the resource execution. To compensate
# for this, we need to shift the ssh key creation to the start of the
# run.  http://docs.opscode.com/resource_common_compile.html

sshfile = "/home/runtime/id_rsa"
sshcomment = [
              node[:fqdn],
              "chef-generated",
              Time.now.strftime("%Y%m%d"),
             ].join("-")
             
make_key = execute "ssh key for runtime" do
  user "runtime"
  creates sshfile
  command "ssh-keygen -t rsa -q -f #{sshfile} -P '' -C #{sshcomment}"
end
make_key.run_action(:run)

node.set[:site][:sshdeploykeys][:runtime] = ::File.read(sshfile)
node.save

2 retrieve

# You can retrieve those files for various templates and future use via:

search(:node, 'site_sshdeploykeys:*').each do |n|
  n[:site][:sshdeploykeys].each do |user, sshkey|
    puts user
    puts sshkey
    puts '----'
  end