Ubuntu – sudoers to execute commands as another user

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I'd like to allow one of my users to execute commands as another user on my Ubuntu Lucid server.

I'm struggling with finding the syntax for the sudoers file to do this. Say I'm connecting to the box with a user called 'ludo', and I want ludo to be able to execute commands as the 'django' user. eg:

sudo -u django

I'd like to be able to execute /any/ commands as the django user, and without prompting for a passsword. All the examples I find are for a restricted subset. I did attempt something but got a syntax error upon exiting visudo so I bottled it.

Thanks 🙂

Best Answer

You can put the user to run as in parentheses before the command list:

ludo ALL = (django) NOPASSWD: ALL

Related Solutions

Linux – sudoers restriction only works when using “sudo”, how to restrict regular usage

This is expected behaviour, the sudoers file is only consulted when you run sudo so it denies the user access to the command and gives you the relevant error message.

When the user tries to run the command directly, sudo is not involved so you get the error messages produced by the individual commands failing because the user lacks privilege.

If you want to restrict the user to just one activity then you could allow them to log in via ssh and tie their keys to to the single command by using

command="/usr/bin/sudo /etc/init.d/nginx reload" ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1...

With this configuration when the user logs in then the reload is performed and they are logged out.

If, at a later date, you decide that you need the user to carry out other operations then you can extend this idea.

Can’t use sudo without password on Ubuntu 12

You're probably in the sudo or admin group, try putting the dart NOPASSWD: entry at the end of your sudoers file. Sudoers will match the last entry in the file which corresponds either to a user or a group, and as sudoers and admin come afterwards, and they ask for a password, so you're being prompted for a password.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Linux – sudoers restriction only works when using “sudo”, how to restrict regular usage

Can’t use sudo without password on Ubuntu 12

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