root password in a .py script

[Paul Rubin]

Ben Finney <bignose-hates-spam at and-benfinney-does-too.id.au> writes:
> No, that makes the increasingly incorrect assumption that the passwords
> are stored and accessed via those files.  Many systems use NIS or LDAP
> or other protocol-based account table management methods, and the
> 'passwd' command is often set up to use that method.  Affecting /etc/*
> files in such a case would have no effect on the root password.

The OP isn't asking about how to do it on "many systems", he's asking
how to do it on a specific system (Mac OS X).  If he can find a way that
works on that system, he doesn't have to worry about other systems.