How to execute/run a shell script as root from a PHP script?

I am working on a project where the some of the commands should be executed by root.
It's a webBuild Your Site Right Using  Powered by bixt.net software that uses Plesk to setup domains, aliases change quotas etc.

Because this setup is done on a testing/staging server I decided to enable Apache to execute scripts with root permissions.
That way the software I am working on would be better tested and would produce less bugs on production.
On production server I have a separate process which runs as root on a regular basis via cron.

So how to enable Apache web server execute other scripts as root ?

Login as root 
Change the script's owner to be root
and/or

chown root:root somescript.php

 

execute: visudo
Add this line

apache ALL=NOPASSWD: ALL

Also comment out the following line otherwise you'd get "sudo: sorry, you must have a tty to run sudo"
Target value:

#Defaults    requiretty

Note: Ubuntu runs the apache web server under 'www-data' user so you may have to replace 'apache' with 'www-data'

By now you should be able to do:

<?php
echo `sudo whoami`;
?>

You should see 'root'

Potential errors you may receive

sudo: sorry, you must have a tty to run sudo

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

    #1) Respect the privacy of others.
    #2) Think before you type.
    #3) With great power comes great responsibility.

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