Hi, I use a login "test" this is a very generic user account without any root rights. I have a shell script which changes the system date. But to execute this script I need to "su" and acquire root level access. I know the root password. How can I write a shell script which can either use "login" of "su" command to acquires user rights "WITHOUT PROMPTIING FOR A PASSWORD". Niether su nor login take password as a parameter. P.S: This need to be an automated tests so it should have no prompting.

Do you know "sudo". I have never used it, but I know that it gives root permission to a normal user to run some super user commands. (you should use it carefully for security reason!) link for sudo: http://www.courtesan.com/sudo/

yes Sudo will do what you need.

Yes sudo will work. You can also use suid (chmod 4755)and change ownership of the script to root (that way you don't have to embed a clear text root-password in the script. Both techniques are a security risk! A non-privleged user can break out of the script and end up with a root shell.