[Tutor] adding users from a script

[Cerulean Rodent]

So here we go. Thanks to everyone for the tips - I'm posting the
functional version of the script I was working at. It might look pretty
ugly at times - but it's the first thing halfway resembling a programme
that I've written, so maybe all hope is not lost...

#!/usr/bin/python
 
import os
import re
import whrandom

rnd = whrandom.whrandom()

validfirst  = "abcdefghijkmnpqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ23456789"

# l, 0, 1 & o omitted so as not to confuse the (l)users

pwlen = 8

pw = ""

idx = 0

while idx < pwlen:
	pw = pw + rnd.choice(validfirst)
	idx = idx + 1

encr = os.popen('mkpasswd ' + pw + ' dread', 'r')
z = re.sub(r'\n','',encr.read())


nomme = raw_input("\nPrint your desired username:\n>>")

if nomme != '':
	os.system('useradd -p ' + z + ' -s /bin/false' + ' ' + '-G mail' + ' ' + nomme) 
else:
	print "\nYou must enter a valid username!"

logfile = open('passlog', 'a')

logfile.write(nomme + "\t" + pw + "\n")

logfile.close

Scary, huh? The gurus must be grinding their teeth in horror wishing to
orally decapitate yours truly... newbies are a plague, and something must
be done to us - since murder is illegal, one has to think of something
else... 

PM XXIII 
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
 " The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
   And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
   I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. "
  
    --Sylvia Plath

-----------------------------------------------------