If a group of developers need to be able to start and stop the server, there may be a temptation to give them the root password, which is probably not a wise thing to do. The fewer people that know the root password, the less likely you will encounter problems. Fortunately, an easy solution to this problem is available on Unix platforms. It is called a setuid executable (setuid root in this case).

Before continuing, we must stress that this technique should not be used unless it is absolutely necessary. If an improperly written setuid script is used, it may compromise the system by giving root privileges to system breakers (crackers).

To be on the safe side, do not deploy the techniques explained in this section. However, if this approach is necessary in a particular situation, this section will address the possible problems and provide solutions to reduce the risks to a minimum.