Annotation of src/usr.bin/sudo/visudo.8, Revision 1.4.2.1
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1.4.2.1 ! millert 138: .\" ======================================================================
! 139: .\"
! 140: .IX Title "visudo 8"
! 141: .TH visudo 8 "1.6.5" "January 16, 2002" "MAINTENANCE COMMANDS"
! 142: .UC
1.1 millert 143: .SH "NAME"
144: visudo \- edit the sudoers file
145: .SH "SYNOPSIS"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 146: .IX Header "SYNOPSIS"
! 147: \&\fBvisudo\fR [ \fB\-c\fR ] [ \fB\-f\fR \fIsudoers\fR ] [ \fB\-q\fR ] [ \fB\-s\fR ] [ \fB\-V\fR ]
1.1 millert 148: .SH "DESCRIPTION"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 149: .IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
! 150: \&\fBvisudo\fR edits the \fIsudoers\fR file in a safe fashion, analogous to
! 151: \&\fIvipw\fR\|(8). \fBvisudo\fR locks the \fIsudoers\fR file against multiple
1.1 millert 152: simultaneous edits, provides basic sanity checks, and checks
153: for parse errors. If the \fIsudoers\fR file is currently being
1.4.2.1 ! millert 154: edited you will receive a message to try again later.
! 155: .PP
! 156: There is a hard-coded list of editors that \fBvisudo\fR will use set
! 157: at compile-time that may be overridden via the \fIeditor\fR \fIsudoers\fR
! 158: \&\f(CW\*(C`Default\*(C'\fR variable. This list defaults to the path to \fIvi\fR\|(1) on
! 159: your system, as determined by the \fIconfigure\fR script. Normally,
! 160: \&\fBvisudo\fR does not honor the \f(CW\*(C`EDITOR\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`VISUAL\*(C'\fR environment
! 161: variables unless they contain an editor in the aforementioned editors
! 162: list. However, if \fBvisudo\fR is configured with the \fI\*(--with-enveditor\fR
! 163: flag or the \fIenveditor\fR \f(CW\*(C`Default\*(C'\fR variable is set in \fIsudoers\fR,
! 164: \&\fBvisudo\fR will use any the editor defines by \f(CW\*(C`EDITOR\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`VISUAL\*(C'\fR.
! 165: Note that this can be a security hole since it allows the user to
! 166: execute any program they wish simply by setting \f(CW\*(C`EDITOR\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`VISUAL\*(C'\fR.
1.1 millert 167: .PP
1.4.2.1 ! millert 168: \&\fBvisudo\fR parses the \fIsudoers\fR file after the edit and will
1.1 millert 169: not save the changes if there is a syntax error. Upon finding
1.4 pjanzen 170: an error, \fBvisudo\fR will print a message stating the line \fInumber\fR\|(s)
1.4.2.1 ! millert 171: where the error occurred and the user will receive the
! 172: \&\*(L"What now?\*(R" prompt. At this point the user may enter \*(L"e\*(R"
1.4 pjanzen 173: to re-edit the \fIsudoers\fR file, \*(L"x\*(R" to exit without
1.1 millert 174: saving the changes, or \*(L"Q\*(R" to quit and save changes. The
1.4.2.1 ! millert 175: \&\*(L"Q\*(R" option should be used with extreme care because if \fBvisudo\fR
1.1 millert 176: believes there to be a parse error, so will \fBsudo\fR and no one
1.4.2.1 ! millert 177: will be able to \fBsudo\fR again until the error is fixed.
! 178: If \*(L"e\*(R" is typed to edit the \fIsudoers\fR file after a parse error
! 179: has been detected, the cursor will be placed on the line where the
! 180: error occurred (if the editor supports this feature).
1.1 millert 181: .SH "OPTIONS"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 182: .IX Header "OPTIONS"
! 183: \&\fBvisudo\fR accepts the following command line options:
! 184: .Ip "\-c" 4
! 185: .IX Item "-c"
! 186: Enable \fBcheck-only\fR mode. The existing \fIsudoers\fR file will be
! 187: checked for syntax and a message will be printed to the
! 188: standard output detailing the status of \fIsudoers\fR.
! 189: If the syntax check completes successfully, \fBvisudo\fR will
! 190: exit with a value of 0. If a syntax error is encountered,
! 191: \&\fBvisudo\fR will exit with a value of 1.
! 192: .Ip "\-f" 4
! 193: .IX Item "-f"
! 194: Specify and alternate \fIsudoers\fR file location. With this option
! 195: \&\fBvisudo\fR will edit (or check) the \fIsudoers\fR file of your choice,
! 196: instead of the default, \f(CW@sysconfdir\fR@/sudoers. The lock file used
! 197: is the specified \fIsudoers\fR file with \*(L".tmp\*(R" appended to it.
! 198: .Ip "\-q" 4
! 199: .IX Item "-q"
! 200: Enable \fBquiet\fR mode. In this mode details about syntax errors
! 201: are not printed. This option is only useful when combined with
! 202: the \fB\-c\fR flag.
! 203: .Ip "\-s" 4
! 204: .IX Item "-s"
1.1 millert 205: Enable \fBstrict\fR checking of the \fIsudoers\fR file. If an alias is
206: used before it is defined, \fBvisudo\fR will consider this a parse
207: error. Note that it is not possible to differentiate between an
1.4.2.1 ! millert 208: alias and a hostname or username that consists solely of uppercase
1.1 millert 209: letters, digits, and the underscore ('_') character.
1.4.2.1 ! millert 210: .Ip "\-V" 4
! 211: .IX Item "-V"
! 212: The \fB\-V\fR (version) option causes \fBvisudo\fR to print its version number
1.1 millert 213: and exit.
214: .SH "ERRORS"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 215: .IX Header "ERRORS"
1.1 millert 216: .Ip "sudoers file busy, try again later." 4
1.4.2.1 ! millert 217: .IX Item "sudoers file busy, try again later."
1.1 millert 218: Someone else is currently editing the \fIsudoers\fR file.
219: .Ip "/etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied" 4
1.4.2.1 ! millert 220: .IX Item "/etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied"
1.1 millert 221: You didn't run \fBvisudo\fR as root.
222: .Ip "Can't find you in the passwd database" 4
1.4.2.1 ! millert 223: .IX Item "Can't find you in the passwd database"
1.1 millert 224: Your userid does not appear in the system passwd file.
225: .Ip "Warning: undeclared Alias referenced near ..." 4
1.4.2.1 ! millert 226: .IX Item "Warning: undeclared Alias referenced near ..."
1.1 millert 227: Either you are using a {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias before
228: defining it or you have a user or hostname listed that
1.4.2.1 ! millert 229: consists solely of uppercase letters, digits, and the
1.1 millert 230: underscore ('_') character. If the latter, you can ignore
231: the warnings (\fBsudo\fR will not complain). In \fB\-s\fR (strict)
1.4 pjanzen 232: mode these are errors, not warnings.
1.1 millert 233: .SH "ENVIRONMENT"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 234: .IX Header "ENVIRONMENT"
1.1 millert 235: The following environment variables are used only if \fBvisudo\fR
1.4.2.1 ! millert 236: was configured with the \fI\*(--with-env-editor\fR option:
1.2 millert 237: .PP
1.1 millert 238: .Vb 2
1.4.2.1 ! millert 239: \& EDITOR Invoked by visudo as the editor to use
! 240: \& VISUAL Used Invoked visudo if EDITOR is not set
1.1 millert 241: .Ve
242: .SH "FILES"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 243: .IX Header "FILES"
1.1 millert 244: .Vb 2
245: \& /etc/sudoers List of who can run what
246: \& /etc/sudoers.tmp Lock file for visudo
247: .Ve
248: .SH "AUTHOR"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 249: .IX Header "AUTHOR"
! 250: Many people have worked on \fIsudo\fR over the years; this version of
! 251: \&\fBvisudo\fR was written by:
1.2 millert 252: .PP
1.1 millert 253: .Vb 1
254: \& Todd Miller <Todd.Miller@courtesan.com>
255: .Ve
1.4.2.1 ! millert 256: See the \s-1HISTORY\s0 file in the sudo distribution or visit
! 257: http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/history.html for more details.
1.1 millert 258: .SH "BUGS"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 259: .IX Header "BUGS"
1.1 millert 260: If you feel you have found a bug in sudo, please submit a bug report
1.4.2.1 ! millert 261: at http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/bugs/
1.1 millert 262: .SH "DISCLAIMER"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 263: .IX Header "DISCLAIMER"
! 264: \&\fBVisudo\fR is provided ``\s-1AS\s0 \s-1IS\s0'' and any express or implied warranties,
1.1 millert 265: including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability
266: and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
1.4.2.1 ! millert 267: See the \s-1LICENSE\s0 file distributed with \fBsudo\fR for complete details.
1.1 millert 268: .SH "CAVEATS"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 269: .IX Header "CAVEATS"
1.1 millert 270: There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if
271: the editor used by \fBvisudo\fR allows shell escapes.
272: .SH "SEE ALSO"
273: .IX Header "SEE ALSO"
1.4.2.1 ! millert 274: \&\fIvi\fR\|(1), \fIsudo\fR\|(8), \fIvipw\fR\|(8).
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