4 VISUDO(1m) MAINTENANCE COMMANDS VISUDO(1m)
8 visudo - edit the sudoers file
10 S
\bSY
\bYN
\bNO
\bOP
\bPS
\bSI
\bIS
\bS
11 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo [-
\b-c
\bc] [-
\b-q
\bq] [-
\b-s
\bs] [-
\b-V
\bV] [-
\b-f
\bf _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs]
13 D
\bDE
\bES
\bSC
\bCR
\bRI
\bIP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN
14 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo edits the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file in a safe fashion, analogous to _
\bv_
\bi_
\bp_
\bw(1m).
15 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo locks the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file against multiple simultaneous edits,
16 provides basic sanity checks, and checks for parse errors. If the
17 _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file is currently being edited you will receive a message to
20 There is a hard-coded list of one or more editors that v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will use
21 set at compile-time that may be overridden via the _
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs
22 Default variable. This list defaults to "vi". Normally, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo does
23 not honor the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables unless they
24 contain an editor in the aforementioned editors list. However, if
25 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo is configured with the _
\b-_
\b-_
\bw_
\bi_
\bt_
\bh_
\b-_
\be_
\bn_
\bv_
\b-_
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br option or the
26 _
\be_
\bn_
\bv_
\b__
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br Default variable is set in _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will use any the
27 editor defines by VISUAL or EDITOR. Note that this can be a security
28 hole since it allows the user to execute any program they wish simply
29 by setting VISUAL or EDITOR.
31 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo parses the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file after the edit and will not save the
32 changes if there is a syntax error. Upon finding an error, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will
33 print a message stating the line number(s) where the error occurred and
34 the user will receive the "What now?" prompt. At this point the user
35 may enter "e" to re-edit the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file, "x" to exit without saving
36 the changes, or "Q" to quit and save changes. The "Q" option should be
37 used with extreme care because if v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo believes there to be a parse
38 error, so will s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo and no one will be able to s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo again until the
39 error is fixed. If "e" is typed to edit the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file after a
40 parse error has been detected, the cursor will be placed on the line
41 where the error occurred (if the editor supports this feature).
43 O
\bOP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bNS
\bS
44 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo accepts the following command line options:
46 -c Enable c
\bch
\bhe
\bec
\bck
\bk-
\b-o
\bon
\bnl
\bly
\by mode. The existing _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file will be
47 checked for syntax and a message will be printed to the
48 standard output detailing the status of _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs. If the
49 syntax check completes successfully, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will exit with
50 a value of 0. If a syntax error is encountered, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo
51 will exit with a value of 1.
53 -f _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs Specify and alternate _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file location. With this
54 option v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will edit (or check) the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file of your
55 choice, instead of the default, _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs. The lock
56 file used is the specified _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file with ".tmp"
59 -q Enable q
\bqu
\bui
\bie
\bet
\bt mode. In this mode details about syntax
60 errors are not printed. This option is only useful when
70 VISUDO(1m) MAINTENANCE COMMANDS VISUDO(1m)
73 combined with the -
\b-c
\bc option.
75 -s Enable s
\bst
\btr
\bri
\bic
\bct
\bt checking of the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file. If an alias is
76 used before it is defined, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will consider this a
77 parse error. Note that it is not possible to differentiate
78 between an alias and a host name or user name that consists
79 solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the underscore
82 -V The -
\b-V
\bV (version) option causes v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo to print its version
85 E
\bEN
\bNV
\bVI
\bIR
\bRO
\bON
\bNM
\bME
\bEN
\bNT
\bT
86 The following environment variables may be consulted depending on the
87 value of the _
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br and _
\be_
\bn_
\bv_
\b__
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs variables:
89 VISUAL Invoked by visudo as the editor to use
91 EDITOR Used by visudo if VISUAL is not set
94 _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs List of who can run what
96 _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs_
\b._
\bt_
\bm_
\bp Lock file for visudo
98 D
\bDI
\bIA
\bAG
\bGN
\bNO
\bOS
\bST
\bTI
\bIC
\bCS
\bS
99 sudoers file busy, try again later.
100 Someone else is currently editing the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file.
102 /etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied
103 You didn't run v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo as root.
105 Can't find you in the passwd database
106 Your userid does not appear in the system passwd file.
108 Warning: {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias referenced but not defined
109 Either you are trying to use an undeclare
110 {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias or you have a user or host name listed
111 that consists solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the
112 underscore ('_') character. In the latter case, you can ignore the
113 warnings (s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will not complain). In -
\b-s
\bs (strict) mode these are
114 errors, not warnings.
116 Warning: unused {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
117 The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias was defined but never
118 used. You may wish to comment out or remove the unused alias. In
119 -
\b-s
\bs (strict) mode this is an error, not a warning.
121 S
\bSE
\bEE
\bE A
\bAL
\bLS
\bSO
\bO
122 _
\bv_
\bi(1), _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs(4), _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo(1m), _
\bv_
\bi_
\bp_
\bw(8)
124 A
\bAU
\bUT
\bTH
\bHO
\bOR
\bR
125 Many people have worked on _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo over the years; this version of v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo
130 1.7.4 July 14, 2010 2
136 VISUDO(1m) MAINTENANCE COMMANDS VISUDO(1m)
141 See the HISTORY file in the sudo distribution or visit
142 http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/history.html for more details.
144 C
\bCA
\bAV
\bVE
\bEA
\bAT
\bTS
\bS
145 There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if the
146 editor used by v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo allows shell escapes.
149 If you feel you have found a bug in v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo, please submit a bug report
150 at http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/bugs/
152 S
\bSU
\bUP
\bPP
\bPO
\bOR
\bRT
\bT
153 Limited free support is available via the sudo-users mailing list, see
154 http://www.sudo.ws/mailman/listinfo/sudo-users to subscribe or search
157 D
\bDI
\bIS
\bSC
\bCL
\bLA
\bAI
\bIM
\bME
\bER
\bR
158 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo is provided ``AS IS'' and any express or implied warranties,
159 including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
160 merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
161 See the LICENSE file distributed with s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo or
162 http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/license.html for complete details.
196 1.7.4 July 14, 2010 3