[yocto] problem adding a user

[Greg Wilson-Lindberg]

I'm trying to use the example in "Embedded Linux Systems with the Yocto Project" to add a user to my Yocto build. In the book the sample code:

   useradd -p `openssl passwd ${DEV_PASSWORD}` developer; \

uses openssl to generate the encrypted password string to pass to useradd. I have never been able to get this to work. When I run the openssl
command on the cmd line I get a different value every time, this seems wrong, How can the password code compare against it if every encode 
produces a different value?

I am getting the user added to the system, the home directory shows up and the user is in the passwd and group files. I just can't login to the 
account.

I've obviously got something confused, any help would be appreciated.

Greg Wilson-Lindberg