root password in a .py script

[Joe Block]

In article <c2vem7$k0f$1 at solaris.cc.vt.edu>,
 Bart Nessux <bart_nessux at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Peter Hansen wrote:
> 
> > Another question no one has asked: if you're trying to get central
> > control in a situation like this, why the heck do the users even know
> > the root password for their machines in the first place?  Can't you
> > reserve that for administrative use by the IT types, and give users safe
> > userids which _cannot_ do what you are saying they do to screw up the
> > systems?
> 
> They don't know the root password. They don't have to know it in order to
> change it... all it takes is an "administrative" user doing this:
> 
> sudo passwd root
> 
> They can change it to whatever they like.

Edit /etc/sudoers and remove the admin group. Add a different group for 
IT staff, and give that sudo rights.

jpb