root password in a .py script

[Bart Nessux]

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.