root password in a .py script

[Craig Markwardt]

Bart Nessux <bart_nessux at hotmail.com> writes:
> Paul Rubin wrote:
> > If they have changed the root password on their machine, then the old
> > root password in your script won't work on that machine.
> > 
> > Find another way to do what you're asking.
> 
> Well, it works. They change the password and the script changes it 
> back... try it yourself on Mac OSX 10.3.x, before claiming it doesn't work.

If you can run as root, or even if not, why not simply check
/etc/passwd for changes to the root account.  And mail a notification
to whoever, if it changed.  And it's less overbearing.  More
dangerously, one could attempt to rewrite that entry in /etc/passwd,
but that sounds like a recipe for eventual disaster.

Craig

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Craig B. Markwardt, Ph.D.      EMAIL: craigmnet at REMOVEcow.physics.wisc.edu
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