The sudo Command

Summary

The sudo command allows users to run programs with the security priviledges of another user. When trusted users precede an administrative command with sudo, they are prompted for their password. Once authenticated and assuming the command is permitted, the administrative command is executed as if by the root user.

Basic command structure

The basis format of the sudo command is as follows. For the description below, the dollar sign indicates that BASH command prompt.

$ sudo <command>

Note: If the user tries to run this command without including sudo and does not have the necessary permissions, the host system will return a message stating that access is denied. By including sudo, the user can now retrieve and edit the file’s contents at the privileged level.

Possible Flags

-p

The -p flag uses a custom password prompt with optional escape sequences.

-u

The -u flag is used when you want to run the command as a user other than the default target user (usually root).

Examples

• If you want to get the lastest updates or upgrade your server, run $ sudo apt update and $ sudo apt upgrade.
• If you want to reboot your machine, run $ sudo reboot.
• To install software, run $ sudo apt install <software>.

Go back to the main list of commands