Setting Password

gistfile1.rb

This method gets an already-prepared password string fed as the variable 'password_hash' 

@@users_plist_dir    = '/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users'

if File.exists?("#{@@users_plist_dir}/#{resource_name}.plist")
        # If a plist already exists in /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users, then
        # we will need to extract the binary plist from the 'ShadowHashData'
        # key, log the new password into the resultant plist's 'SALTED-SHA512'
        # key, and then save the entire structure back.
        users_plist = Plist::parse_xml(`plutil -convert xml1 -o /dev/stdout #{@@users_plist_dir}/#{resource_name}.plist`)
        password_hash_plist = users_plist['ShadowHashData'][0].string
        IO.popen('plutil -convert xml1 -o - -', mode='r+') do |io|
          io.write password_hash_plist
          io.close_write
          @hash_plist = io.read
        end
        converted_hash_plist = Plist::parse_xml(@hash_plist)
        converted_hash_plist['SALTED-SHA512'].string = password_hash.unpack('a2'*(password_hash.size/2)).collect { |i| i.hex.chr }.join
        IO.popen('plutil -convert binary1 -o - -', mode='r+') do |io|
          io.write converted_hash_plist.to_plist
          io.close_write
          @changed_plist = io.read
        end
        users_plist['ShadowHashData'][0].string = @changed_plist
        Plist::Emit.save_plist(users_plist, "#{@@users_plist_dir}/#{resource_name}.plist")
        %x{plutil -convert binary1 #{@@users_plist_dir}/#{resource_name}.plist}
      end