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sudo 1.8.5p1

    1: VISUDO(1m)                   MAINTENANCE COMMANDS                   VISUDO(1m)
    2: 
    3: 
    4: 
    5: NNAAMMEE
    6:        visudo - edit the sudoers file
    7: 
    8: SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
    9:        vviissuuddoo [--cchhqqssVV] [--ff _s_u_d_o_e_r_s]
   10: 
   11: DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
   12:        vviissuuddoo edits the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file in a safe fashion, analogous to _v_i_p_w(1m).
   13:        vviissuuddoo locks the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file against multiple simultaneous edits,
   14:        provides basic sanity checks, and checks for parse errors.  If the
   15:        _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file is currently being edited you will receive a message to
   16:        try again later.
   17: 
   18:        There is a hard-coded list of one or more editors that vviissuuddoo will use
   19:        set at compile-time that may be overridden via the _e_d_i_t_o_r _s_u_d_o_e_r_s
   20:        Default variable.  This list defaults to "vi".  Normally, vviissuuddoo does
   21:        not honor the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables unless they
   22:        contain an editor in the aforementioned editors list.  However, if
   23:        vviissuuddoo is configured with the _-_-_w_i_t_h_-_e_n_v_-_e_d_i_t_o_r option or the
   24:        _e_n_v___e_d_i_t_o_r Default variable is set in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, vviissuuddoo will use any the
   25:        editor defines by VISUAL or EDITOR.  Note that this can be a security
   26:        hole since it allows the user to execute any program they wish simply
   27:        by setting VISUAL or EDITOR.
   28: 
   29:        vviissuuddoo parses the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file after the edit and will not save the
   30:        changes if there is a syntax error.  Upon finding an error, vviissuuddoo will
   31:        print a message stating the line number(s) where the error occurred and
   32:        the user will receive the "What now?" prompt.  At this point the user
   33:        may enter "e" to re-edit the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file, "x" to exit without saving
   34:        the changes, or "Q" to quit and save changes.  The "Q" option should be
   35:        used with extreme care because if vviissuuddoo believes there to be a parse
   36:        error, so will ssuuddoo and no one will be able to ssuuddoo again until the
   37:        error is fixed.  If "e" is typed to edit the  _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file after a
   38:        parse error has been detected, the cursor will be placed on the line
   39:        where the error occurred (if the editor supports this feature).
   40: 
   41: OOPPTTIIOONNSS
   42:        vviissuuddoo accepts the following command line options:
   43: 
   44:        -c          Enable cchheecckk--oonnllyy mode.  The existing _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file will be
   45:                    checked for syntax errors, owner and mode.  A message will
   46:                    be printed to the standard output describing the status of
   47:                    _s_u_d_o_e_r_s unless the --qq option was specified.  If the check
   48:                    completes successfully, vviissuuddoo will exit with a value of 0.
   49:                    If an error is encountered, vviissuuddoo will exit with a value
   50:                    of 1.
   51: 
   52:        -f _s_u_d_o_e_r_s  Specify and alternate _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file location.  With this
   53:                    option vviissuuddoo will edit (or check) the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file of your
   54:                    choice, instead of the default, _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s.  The lock
   55:                    file used is the specified _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file with ".tmp"
   56:                    appended to it.  In cchheecckk--oonnllyy mode only, the argument to
   57:                    --ff may be "-", indicating that _s_u_d_o_e_r_s will be read from
   58:                    the standard input.
   59: 
   60:        -h          The --hh (_h_e_l_p) option causes vviissuuddoo to print a short help
   61:                    message to the standard output and exit.
   62: 
   63:        -q          Enable qquuiieett mode.  In this mode details about syntax
   64:                    errors are not printed.  This option is only useful when
   65:                    combined with the --cc option.
   66: 
   67:        -s          Enable ssttrriicctt checking of the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.  If an alias is
   68:                    used before it is defined, vviissuuddoo will consider this a
   69:                    parse error.  Note that it is not possible to differentiate
   70:                    between an alias and a host name or user name that consists
   71:                    solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the underscore
   72:                    ('_') character.
   73: 
   74:        -V          The --VV (version) option causes vviissuuddoo to print its version
   75:                    number and exit.
   76: 
   77: EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
   78:        The following environment variables may be consulted depending on the
   79:        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 variables:
   80: 
   81:        VISUAL          Invoked by visudo as the editor to use
   82: 
   83:        EDITOR          Used by visudo if VISUAL is not set
   84: 
   85: FFIILLEESS
   86:        _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s            List of who can run what
   87: 
   88:        _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s_._t_m_p        Lock file for visudo
   89: 
   90: DDIIAAGGNNOOSSTTIICCSS
   91:        sudoers file busy, try again later.
   92:            Someone else is currently editing the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.
   93: 
   94:        /etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied
   95:            You didn't run vviissuuddoo as root.
   96: 
   97:        Can't find you in the passwd database
   98:            Your userid does not appear in the system passwd file.
   99: 
  100:        Warning: {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias referenced but not defined
  101:            Either you are trying to use an undeclare
  102:            {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias or you have a user or host name listed
  103:            that consists solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the
  104:            underscore ('_') character.  In the latter case, you can ignore the
  105:            warnings (ssuuddoo will not complain).  In --ss (strict) mode these are
  106:            errors, not warnings.
  107: 
  108:        Warning: unused {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
  109:            The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias was defined but never
  110:            used.  You may wish to comment out or remove the unused alias.  In
  111:            --ss (strict) mode this is an error, not a warning.
  112: 
  113:        Warning: cycle in {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias
  114:            The specified {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias includes a reference to
  115:            itself, either directly or through an alias it includes.  This is
  116:            only a warning by default as ssuuddoo will ignore cycles when parsing
  117:            the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.
  118: 
  119: SSEEEE AALLSSOO
  120:        _v_i(1), _s_u_d_o_e_r_s(4), _s_u_d_o(1m), _v_i_p_w(1m)
  121: 
  122: AAUUTTHHOORR
  123:        Many people have worked on ssuuddoo over the years; this version of vviissuuddoo
  124:        was written by:
  125: 
  126:         Todd Miller
  127: 
  128:        See the CONTRIBUTORS file in the ssuuddoo distribution
  129:        (http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/contributors.html) for a list of people who
  130:        have contributed to ssuuddoo.
  131: 
  132: CCAAVVEEAATTSS
  133:        There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if the
  134:        editor used by vviissuuddoo allows shell escapes.
  135: 
  136: BBUUGGSS
  137:        If you feel you have found a bug in vviissuuddoo, please submit a bug report
  138:        at http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/bugs/
  139: 
  140: SSUUPPPPOORRTT
  141:        Limited free support is available via the sudo-users mailing list, see
  142:        http://www.sudo.ws/mailman/listinfo/sudo-users to subscribe or search
  143:        the archives.
  144: 
  145: DDIISSCCLLAAIIMMEERR
  146:        vviissuuddoo is provided ``AS IS'' and any express or implied warranties,
  147:        including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
  148:        merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
  149:        See the LICENSE file distributed with ssuuddoo or
  150:        http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/license.html for complete details.
  151: 
  152: 
  153: 
  154: 1.8.5                           March 14, 2012                      VISUDO(1m)