diff --git a/cluster_setup/user_setup_node.sh b/cluster_setup/user_setup_node.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2d833cce482cfda383a482ad47a5edf8d567a664
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster_setup/user_setup_node.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+## script to create 40 users called userXX with a default password
+## and setup up ssh logins without asking for passwords & host checking
+
+n=40
+for i in `seq -w 1 ${n}`
+do
+  echo $i;
+
+  ## create n new user called userXX and create default password
+  adduser --gecos "" --disabled-password user${i}
+  echo user${i}:SoftwareC | chpasswd
+
+done