[SOLVED] Easy question

[ADFC]

Hello!

Is it possible to run a program (with root permissions via shell script) without typing a password?
For example in the shell script, maybe there could be something like:

exec su -c $myprogram -p:MYPASSWORD001 #the bold part is made up

If it's not possible, can I send the password in the shell script through some SEND_KEYSTROKES equivalent command?


Thank you.
ADFC

[gerard4143]

You might be able to pipe the data(password) to the su command via a script...But this leaves the root password available in a script...G4143

I'm not really sure what your after here????

[ADFC]

But this leaves the root password available in a script...

I don't mind!
I just don't want to type the password.
I want it to be transmitted automatically to su (via script).
That way, I don't need to type it repeatedly (since I will provide the correct password in the shell script).

I don't care about security. Consider it an exercise.

Thank you

[secondmouse]

Try sudo instead. First check if you have it installed. You should have its configuration file /etc/sudoers if you do.

1. Edit that file by using command visudo, append this line to the file:
yourusername ALL=NOPASSWD:/path/to/myprogram

2. Save the file then run

sudo /path/to/myprogram

myprogram should run without asking you for password.

[ADFC]

Hello!

I don't have sudo.
I can't install sudo either.

I have a multitude of computers that need to run a specific program (with root permissions) every day.

I can't make any modifications/additions to any of the installed files in the HDD.
But I have to automate the process as much as I can (since I run this program in many PCs per day).

So preferably, my solution would be programatical (via script).
After the script is executed, it will be deleted (that's why I said I didn't care about the root's pass being exposed).

Something equivalent to the VisualBasic SendKeys function would be nice.
But in Bash...

Ideas?

Thank you.

[secondmouse]

Try passwordless ssh login on the local machine: [ assuming you have ssh server running ]

1. suppose your username is testuser
2. as testuser, run

ssh-genkey -t rsa

accept the default options for the questions
3.as root

cat /home/testuser/.ssh/id_rsa.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2

4. exit back to testuser, run

ssh root@localhost

to test if passwordless login is working. It might ask you if you want to connect if this is the first time you run this command. Answer yes, after that it should not ask you for password and you are now ssh to the localhost as root.
5. exit
6. Now run your program:

ssh root@localhost /path/to/myprogram

For more info on passwordless ssh, please read ssh-keygen: password-less SSH login

I should warn you that there is a huge security risk in this approach since anyone having access to testuser's home dir can gain root access easily.

[ADFC]

Try sudo instead. First check if you have it installed. You should have its configuration file /etc/sudoers if you do.

1. Edit that file by using command visudo, append this line to the file:
yourusername ALL=NOPASSWD:/path/to/myprogram

2. Save the file then run

sudo /path/to/myprogram

myprogram should run without asking you for password.

Hello secondmouse!

I ended up following the above suggestion (I'm sorry, I did have sudo installed after all).

I temporarily modify (via script) the sudoers file and in the end, the file is reverted back to it's original content.

That way, I don't modify anything in the HDD, and I get temporary access to the programs I want to run.

Thank you all.
ADFC

SOLVED