## User Data **User Data** in **Atlas Cloud** lets you automatically configure a virtual machine during its first boot. This is useful for tasks like: - Adding users and SSH keys - Installing software packages - Configuring services or network settings - Bootstrapping management agents ## Example User Data ```yaml #cloud-config users: - name: deploy groups: sudo shell: /bin/bash ssh-authorized-keys: - ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQC0... package_update: true package_upgrade: true runcmd: - echo "Welcome to Atlas Cloud!" > /etc/motd - apt-get install -y curl vim ``` - Creates a `deploy` user with `sudo` privileges. - Adds the specified SSH key for secure login. - Updates and upgrades all system packages. - Installs `curl` and `vim`. - Writes a welcome message to `/etc/motd`. If your template doesn’t use cloud-init, you can provide a simple script: ```bash #!/bin/bash useradd -m deploy -s /bin/bash mkdir -p /home/deploy/.ssh echo "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQC0..." > /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys chown -R deploy:deploy /home/deploy/.ssh chmod 700 /home/deploy/.ssh chmod 600 /home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys echo "Welcome to Atlas Cloud!" > /etc/motd ``` User data is an excellent way to bootstrap your new instance.