[SLUG] Apache execute a CGI as another user

[Peter Rundle <prundle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sluggers,

I'm looking for suggestions/recommendations for a way to run a command as a specific user, 
but triggered from a web form submit button. The corresponding action cgi runs as 
apache/apache, but I then need it to trigger the running of a shell script as another 
unprivledged user.

The reason is that I have some commercial software (Matlab) that must run as the user 
'matlab' for licencing reasons. This software is used to generate a graphical plot. I want 
to allow the web user to request an update to the plot.

Alternatively if anyone knows of a good FOSS alternative to Matlab which can read and run 
matlab scripts (java syntax plus lots of libries) that maybe a "better" solution.

TIA's

Pete