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 editors that v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will use set at
21 compile-time that may be overridden via the _
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs Default
22 variable. This list defaults to the path to _
\bv_
\bi(1) on your system, as
23 determined by the _
\bc_
\bo_
\bn_
\bf_
\bi_
\bg_
\bu_
\br_
\be script. Normally, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo does not honor
24 the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables unless they contain an
25 editor in the aforementioned editors list. However, if v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo is
26 configured with the _
\b-_
\b-_
\bw_
\bi_
\bt_
\bh_
\b-_
\be_
\bn_
\bv_
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br option or the _
\be_
\bn_
\bv_
\b__
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bt_
\bo_
\br Default
27 variable is set in _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will use any the editor defines by
28 VISUAL or EDITOR. Note that this can be a security hole since it
29 allows the user to execute any program they wish simply by setting
32 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
33 changes if there is a syntax error. Upon finding an error, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will
34 print a message stating the line number(s) where the error occurred and
35 the user will receive the "What now?" prompt. At this point the user
36 may enter "e" to re-edit the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file, "x" to exit without saving
37 the changes, or "Q" to quit and save changes. The "Q" option should be
38 used with extreme care because if v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo believes there to be a parse
39 error, so will s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo and no one will be able to s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo again until the
40 error is fixed. If "e" is typed to edit the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file after a
41 parse error has been detected, the cursor will be placed on the line
42 where the error occurred (if the editor supports this feature).
44 O
\bOP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bNS
\bS
45 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo accepts the following command line options:
47 -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
48 checked for syntax and a message will be printed to the
49 standard output detailing the status of _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs. If the
50 syntax check completes successfully, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will exit with
51 a value of 0. If a syntax error is encountered, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo
52 will exit with a value of 1.
54 -f _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs Specify and alternate _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file location. With this
55 option v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will edit (or check) the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file of your
56 choice, instead of the default, _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs. The lock
57 file used is the specified _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file with ".tmp"
60 -q Enable q
\bqu
\bui
\bie
\bet
\bt mode. In this mode details about syntax
70 VISUDO(1m) MAINTENANCE COMMANDS VISUDO(1m)
73 errors are not printed. This option is only useful when
74 combined with the -
\b-c
\bc option.
76 -s Enable s
\bst
\btr
\bri
\bic
\bct
\bt checking of the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file. If an alias is
77 used before it is defined, v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will consider this a
78 parse error. Note that it is not possible to differentiate
79 between an alias and a hostname or username that consists
80 solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the underscore
83 -V The -
\b-V
\bV (version) option causes v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo to print its version
86 E
\bEN
\bNV
\bVI
\bIR
\bRO
\bON
\bNM
\bME
\bEN
\bNT
\bT
87 The following environment variables may be consulted depending on the
88 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:
90 VISUAL Invoked by visudo as the editor to use
92 EDITOR Used by visudo if VISUAL is not set
95 _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs List of who can run what
97 _
\b/_
\be_
\bt_
\bc_
\b/_
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs_
\b._
\bt_
\bm_
\bp Lock file for visudo
99 D
\bDI
\bIA
\bAG
\bGN
\bNO
\bOS
\bST
\bTI
\bIC
\bCS
\bS
100 sudoers file busy, try again later.
101 Someone else is currently editing the _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs file.
103 /etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied
104 You didn't run v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo as root.
106 Can't find you in the passwd database
107 Your userid does not appear in the system passwd file.
109 Warning: {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias referenced but not defined
110 Either you are trying to use an undeclare
111 {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias or you have a user or hostname listed
112 that consists solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the
113 underscore ('_') character. In the latter case, you can ignore the
114 warnings (s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo will not complain). In -
\b-s
\bs (strict) mode these are
115 errors, not warnings.
117 Warning: unused {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
118 The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias was defined but never
119 used. You may wish to comment out or remove the unused alias. In
120 -
\b-s
\bs (strict) mode this is an error, not a warning.
122 S
\bSE
\bEE
\bE A
\bAL
\bLS
\bSO
\bO
123 _
\bv_
\bi(1), _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo_
\be_
\br_
\bs(4), _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo(1m), _
\bv_
\bi_
\bp_
\bw(8)
125 A
\bAU
\bUT
\bTH
\bHO
\bOR
\bR
126 Many people have worked on _
\bs_
\bu_
\bd_
\bo over the years; this version of v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo
130 1.7.2 June 11, 2009 2
136 VISUDO(1m) MAINTENANCE COMMANDS VISUDO(1m)
143 See the HISTORY file in the sudo distribution or visit
144 http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/history.html for more details.
146 C
\bCA
\bAV
\bVE
\bEA
\bAT
\bTS
\bS
147 There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if the
148 editor used by v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo allows shell escapes.
151 If you feel you have found a bug in v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo, please submit a bug report
152 at http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/bugs/
154 S
\bSU
\bUP
\bPP
\bPO
\bOR
\bRT
\bT
155 Limited free support is available via the sudo-users mailing list, see
156 http://www.sudo.ws/mailman/listinfo/sudo-users to subscribe or search
159 D
\bDI
\bIS
\bSC
\bCL
\bLA
\bAI
\bIM
\bME
\bER
\bR
160 v
\bvi
\bis
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo is provided ``AS IS'' and any express or implied warranties,
161 including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
162 merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
163 See the LICENSE file distributed with s
\bsu
\bud
\bdo
\bo or
164 http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/license.html for complete details.
196 1.7.2 June 11, 2009 3