[Zope] Re: useradd command in Zope

[Josef Meile]

Hi ajit,

>        i don't think this is non-zope question bca'z...
> 
>        i am using python script to add user to system which works fine 
> when run outside of zope ...
>       but when i run it through zope as external script (with all 
> permission) it's not working and returning 256 without giving any error...
That's because the user running zope doesn't have any root privileges
and a external method is run as this user and not as root.

Anyway, I just don't think it is safe to allow an zope admin user to
create users in your operating system. What if your zope admin password
gets hacked? Then the hacker could easily create a user in your machine
and gain access to it as well. Why don't you do it directly by following
the old way: logging in to the unix console, su to root and then
calling useradd?

Anyway, if you still want to do this, then you have to use sudo as
Andreas said. Other alternatives would be:
1) Run zope as root.

2) use set-user-ID or set-group-ID (man chmod) with a C binary that
    calls useradd

3) Add your zope user to the group of root.

Those two things are too dangerous. If I were you, I wouldn't consider
any of them; however, it is up-to-you to decide this.

Regards,
Josef