sudo Command: Tutorial & Examples

Execute a command as root

sudo is a command-line utility that allows users to execute commands with superuser (or "root") privileges. It is commonly used on Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and macOS.

The sudo command stands for "superuser do," and it is used to execute a command as the root user or another user with superuser privileges. This can be useful when you need to perform tasks that require elevated privileges, such as installing software or modifying system files.

Here's the basic syntax for using sudo:

sudo command

For example, to use apt-get to install a package as the root user, you would use the following command:

sudo apt-get install package_name

When you run a command with sudo, you may be prompted to enter your password. This is because sudo requires that you authenticate yourself before it allows you to execute a command with superuser privileges.

Depending on your Linux distribution you may need to install sudo before you can use it.

By default, sudo allows users in the sudo group to execute commands with superuser privileges. The /etc/sudoers file controls which users are allowed to use sudo and what commands they are allowed to run. You can edit this file using the visudo command to configure sudo access for different users or groups.

To add a user myuser to the sudo group you can run the command:

adduser myuser sudo

It's important to use sudo responsibly and only execute commands that you understand and know are safe. Using sudo improperly can cause serious problems with your system, so it's a good idea to be cautious when using it.