whatis sudo
sudo
Also known as: superuser do, sudoers
The command that lets permitted users run individual commands as root (or another user), with authentication and logging.
What Is sudo in Linux?
sudo command runs one command with root privileges after asking for your own password. Who may use it, and for what, is defined in /etc/sudoers and /etc/sudoers.d/, which should always be edited with visudo to avoid syntax errors that lock you out.
Typically members of the sudo (Debian/Ubuntu) or wheel (Fedora/Arch) group get full access. Every sudo use is logged, which is one reason it is preferred over logging in as root.
Example
sudo -l
sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/deployLearn more about sudo
- Sudo Explained sudo lets non-root users run commands with elevated privileges in a controlled, auditable way. This guide covers how sudo works, how to configure /etc/sudoers, and common patterns for granting the right level of access.
- Linux Security Best Practices A practical security checklist for Linux systems -- covering user privileges, SSH hardening, firewall setup, automatic updates, file integrity monitoring, and auditing tools like Lynis.
Related tools
- sudoers Rule Builder Write sudoers.d rules with run-as targets, NOPASSWD, and limited command lists, validated with visudo.