I need root privledges to do some stuff in my python script. I am currently using this technique
[php]
current_user = os.geteuid()

if current_user != 0:
print "you need to be root to run this script"
sys.exit()[/php]

this will at least polietly end the script so i am able to log in as root. then start the script as root user.

Is it a very involved process to have the script prompt me for my root password and switch users?

Where there is a geteuid(), there is seteuid(userid_data). Unfortunately I can't play with it, since I don't have a Unix machine.