VISUDO(1m)                   System Manager's Manual                  VISUDO(1m)

NNAAMMEE
     vviissuuddoo - edit the sudoers file

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     vviissuuddoo [--cchhqqssVV] [[--ff] _s_u_d_o_e_r_s]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     vviissuuddoo edits the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file in a safe fashion, analogous to vipw(1m).
     vviissuuddoo locks the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file against multiple simultaneous edits,
     provides basic sanity checks, and checks for parse errors.  If the
     _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file is currently being edited you will receive a message to try
     again later.

     vviissuuddoo parses the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file after editing and will not save the
     changes if there is a syntax error.  Upon finding an error, vviissuuddoo will
     print a message stating the line number(s) where the error occurred and
     the user will receive the "What now?" prompt.  At this point the user may
     enter `e' to re-edit the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file, `x' to exit without saving the
     changes, or `Q' to quit and save changes.  The `Q' option should be used
     with extreme caution because if vviissuuddoo believes there to be a parse
     error, so will ssuuddoo and no one will be able to run ssuuddoo again until the
     error is fixed.  If `e' is typed to edit the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file after a parse
     error has been detected, the cursor will be placed on the line where the
     error occurred (if the editor supports this feature).

     There are two _s_u_d_o_e_r_s settings that determine which editor vviissuuddoo will
     run.

     editor    A colon (`:') separated list of editors allowed to be used with
               vviissuuddoo.  vviissuuddoo will choose the editor that matches the user's
               SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL or EDITOR environment variable if possible,
               or the first editor in the list that exists and is executable.
               Note that the SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL and EDITOR environment
               variables are not preserved by default when the _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t
               _s_u_d_o_e_r_s option is enabled.  The default editor path is _v_i which
               can be set at compile time via the --with-editor configure
               option.

     env_editor
               If set, vviissuuddoo will use the value of the SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL or
               EDITOR environment variables before falling back on the default
               editor list.  Note that this may create a security hole as it
               allows the user to run any arbitrary command as root without
               logging.  A safer alternative is to place a colon-separated
               list of editors in the _e_d_i_t_o_r variable.  vviissuuddoo will then only
               use SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL or EDITOR if they match a value
               specified in _e_d_i_t_o_r.  If the _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t flag is enabled, the
               SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL and/or EDITOR environment variables must be
               present in the _e_n_v___k_e_e_p list for the _e_n_v___e_d_i_t_o_r flag to
               function when vviissuuddoo is invoked via ssuuddoo.  The default value is
               _o_f_f, which can be set at compile time via the --with-env-editor
               configure option.

     The options are as follows:

     --cc, ----cchheecckk
                 Enable _c_h_e_c_k_-_o_n_l_y mode.  The existing _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file (and any
                 other files it includes) will be checked for syntax errors.
                 If the path to the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file was not specified, vviissuuddoo
                 will also check the file owner and mode.  A message will be
                 printed to the standard output describing the status of
                 _s_u_d_o_e_r_s unless the --qq option was specified.  If the check
                 completes successfully, vviissuuddoo will exit with a value of 0.
                 If an error is encountered, vviissuuddoo will exit with a value of
                 1.

     --ff _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, ----ffiillee=_s_u_d_o_e_r_s
                 Specify an alternate _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file location, see below.  As of
                 version 1.8.27, the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s path can be specified without
                 using the --ff option.

     --hh, ----hheellpp  Display a short help message to the standard output and exit.

     --qq, ----qquuiieett
                 Enable _q_u_i_e_t mode.  In this mode details about syntax errors
                 are not printed.  This option is only useful when combined
                 with the --cc option.

     --ss, ----ssttrriicctt
                 Enable _s_t_r_i_c_t checking of the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.  If an alias is
                 referenced but not actually defined or if there is a cycle in
                 an alias, vviissuuddoo will consider this a parse error.  Note that
                 it is not possible to differentiate between an alias and a
                 host name or user name that consists solely of uppercase
                 letters, digits, and the underscore (`_') character.

     --VV, ----vveerrssiioonn
                 Print the vviissuuddoo and _s_u_d_o_e_r_s grammar versions and exit.

     A _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file may be specified instead of the default, _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s.
     The lock file used is the specified _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file with ".tmp" appended to
     it.  In _c_h_e_c_k_-_o_n_l_y mode only, `-' may be used to indicate that _s_u_d_o_e_r_s
     will be read from the standard input.  Because the policy is evaluated in
     its entirety, it is not sufficient to check an individual _s_u_d_o_e_r_s include
     file for syntax errors.

   DDeebbuuggggiinngg aanndd ssuuddooeerrss pplluuggiinn aarrgguummeennttss
     vviissuuddoo versions 1.8.4 and higher support a flexible debugging framework
     that is configured via Debug lines in the sudo.conf(4) file.

     Starting with ssuuddoo 1.8.12, vviissuuddoo will also parse the arguments to the
     _s_u_d_o_e_r_s plugin to override the default _s_u_d_o_e_r_s path name, UID, GID and
     file mode.  These arguments, if present, should be listed after the path
     to the plugin (i.e., after _s_u_d_o_e_r_s_._s_o).  Multiple arguments may be
     specified, separated by white space.  For example:

           Plugin sudoers_policy sudoers.so sudoers_mode=0400

     The following arguments are supported:

     sudoers_file=pathname
               The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s___f_i_l_e argument can be used to override the default
               path to the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.

     sudoers_uid=uid
               The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s___u_i_d argument can be used to override the default
               owner of the sudoers file.  It should be specified as a numeric
               user ID.

     sudoers_gid=gid
               The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s___g_i_d argument can be used to override the default
               group of the sudoers file.  It must be specified as a numeric
               group ID (not a group name).

     sudoers_mode=mode
               The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s___m_o_d_e argument can be used to override the default
               file mode for the sudoers file.  It should be specified as an
               octal value.

     For more information on configuring sudo.conf(4), please refer to its
     manual.

EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
     The following environment variables may be consulted depending on the
     value of the _e_d_i_t_o_r and _e_n_v___e_d_i_t_o_r _s_u_d_o_e_r_s settings:

     SUDO_EDITOR      Invoked by vviissuuddoo as the editor to use

     VISUAL           Used by vviissuuddoo if SUDO_EDITOR is not set

     EDITOR           Used by vviissuuddoo if neither SUDO_EDITOR nor VISUAL is set

FFIILLEESS
     _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_._c_o_n_f            Sudo front end configuration

     _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s              List of who can run what

     _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s_._t_m_p          Lock file for visudo

DDIIAAGGNNOOSSTTIICCSS
     In addition to reporting _s_u_d_o_e_r_s parse errors, vviissuuddoo may produce the
     following messages:

     sudoers file busy, try again later.
           Someone else is currently editing the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.

     /etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied
           You didn't run vviissuuddoo as root.

     you do not exist in the passwd database
           Your user ID does not appear in the system passwd database.

     Warning: {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias referenced but not defined
           Either you are trying to use an undeclared
           {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias or you have a user or host name listed
           that consists solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the
           underscore (`_') character.  In the latter case, you can ignore the
           warnings (ssuuddoo will not complain).  The message is prefixed with
           the path name of the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file and the line number where the
           undefined alias was used.  In --ss (strict) mode these are errors,
           not warnings.

     Warning: unused {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
           The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias was defined but never
           used.  The message is prefixed with the path name of the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s
           file and the line number where the unused alias was defined.  You
           may wish to comment out or remove the unused alias.

     Warning: cycle in {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
           The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias includes a reference to
           itself, either directly or through an alias it includes.  The
           message is prefixed with the path name of the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file and the
           line number where the cycle was detected.  This is only a warning
           unless vviissuuddoo is run in --ss (strict) mode as ssuuddoo will ignore cycles
           when parsing the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.

     unknown defaults entry "name"
           The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file contains a Defaults setting not recognized by
           vviissuuddoo.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     vi(1), sudo.conf(4), sudoers(4), sudo(1m), vipw(1m)

AAUUTTHHOORRSS
     Many people have worked on ssuuddoo over the years; this version consists of
     code written primarily by:

           Todd C. Miller

     See the CONTRIBUTORS file in the ssuuddoo distribution
     (https://www.sudo.ws/contributors.html) for an exhaustive list of people
     who have contributed to ssuuddoo.

CCAAVVEEAATTSS
     There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if the
     editor used by vviissuuddoo allows shell escapes.

BBUUGGSS
     If you feel you have found a bug in vviissuuddoo, please submit a bug report at
     https://bugzilla.sudo.ws/

SSUUPPPPOORRTT
     Limited free support is available via the sudo-users mailing list, see
     https://www.sudo.ws/mailman/listinfo/sudo-users to subscribe or search
     the archives.

DDIISSCCLLAAIIMMEERR
     vviissuuddoo is provided "AS IS" and any express or implied warranties,
     including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability
     and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.  See the LICENSE
     file distributed with ssuuddoo or https://www.sudo.ws/license.html for
     complete details.

Sudo 1.8.26                    December 24, 2018                   Sudo 1.8.26
