root password in a .py script

[Bart Nessux]

Kirk Strauser wrote:
> 1) Why do you ever use the root password under OS X?  There's really nothing
>    that you can't do using 'sudo'.  I literally *never* log in as root on an
>    OS X machine.
> 
> 2) Out of curiosity, why are your users disabling ssh?  If they're smart enough
>    to do that, aren't they smart enough to disable your script?
> 
> 3) Why would you store the unencrypted root password?  The 'chpass -a'
>    command lets (actually, requires) you to specify an encrypted password.
>    Store that in your script if you must.
> 
> 4) Get a 2x4, paint it black and write the word "LART" on it in blood red,
>    and tell your users to quick changing stuff or you'll have to schedule
>    them for "an adjustment".  Follow through once or twice if necessary.

1. To administer the machine.
2. All they have to do is click a check-box to disable ssh in OSX.
3. I didn't know about chpass.
4. We're informal. Admins are noramlly only called when the user has 
*really* messed something up. We put out their fires. When we try to 
stop them from creating fires, we become over-bearing and controlling... 
  classic admin/user relationship.