path: root/usr.bin/sudo/visudo.8

.rn '' }`
''' $RCSfile: visudo.8,v $$Revision: 1.4 $$Date: 2001/09/17 23:49:21 $
'''
''' $Log: visudo.8,v $
''' Revision 1.4  2001/09/17 23:49:21  pjanzen
''' Typo and grammar fixes, one from PR/2058 (Dennis Schwarz); ok millert@
'''
''' Revision 1.3  2000/03/27 03:44:39  millert
''' sudo 1.6.3; see http://www.courtesan.com/sudo/current.html for a list
''' of changes.
'''
''' Revision 1.4  2000/03/27 03:26:24  millert
''' Use 8 and 5 in the man page bodies as well.
'''
'''
.de Sh
.br
.if t .Sp
.ne 5
.PP
\fB\\$1\fR
.PP
..
.de Sp
.if t .sp .5v
.if n .sp
..
.de Ip
.br
.ie \\n(.$>=3 .ne \\$3
.el .ne 3
.IP "\\$1" \\$2
..
.de Vb
.ft CW
.nf
.ne \\$1
..
.de Ve
.ft R

.fi
..
'''
'''
'''     Set up \*(-- to give an unbreakable dash;
'''     string Tr holds user defined translation string.
'''     Bell System Logo is used as a dummy character.
'''
.tr \(*W-|\(bv\*(Tr
.ie n \{\
.ds -- \(*W-
.ds PI pi
.if (\n(.H=4u)&(1m=24u) .ds -- \(*W\h'-12u'\(*W\h'-12u'-\" diablo 10 pitch
.if (\n(.H=4u)&(1m=20u) .ds -- \(*W\h'-12u'\(*W\h'-8u'-\" diablo 12 pitch
.ds L" ""
.ds R" ""
'''   \*(M", \*(S", \*(N" and \*(T" are the equivalent of
'''   \*(L" and \*(R", except that they are used on ".xx" lines,
'''   such as .IP and .SH, which do another additional levels of
'''   double-quote interpretation
.ds M" """
.ds S" """
.ds N" """""
.ds T" """""
.ds L' '
.ds R' '
.ds M' '
.ds S' '
.ds N' '
.ds T' '
'br\}
.el\{\
.ds -- \(em\|
.tr \*(Tr
.ds L" ``
.ds R" ''
.ds M" ``
.ds S" ''
.ds N" ``
.ds T" ''
.ds L' `
.ds R' '
.ds M' `
.ds S' '
.ds N' `
.ds T' '
.ds PI \(*p
'br\}
.\"	If the F register is turned on, we'll generate
.\"	index entries out stderr for the following things:
.\"		TH	Title 
.\"		SH	Header
.\"		Sh	Subsection 
.\"		Ip	Item
.\"		X<>	Xref  (embedded
.\"	Of course, you have to process the output yourself
.\"	in some meaningful fashion.
.if \nF \{
.de IX
.tm Index:\\$1\t\\n%\t"\\$2"
..
.nr % 0
.rr F
.\}
.TH visudo 8 "1.6.3" "26/Mar/2000" "MAINTENANCE COMMANDS"
.UC
.if n .hy 0
.if n .na
.ds C+ C\v'-.1v'\h'-1p'\s-2+\h'-1p'+\s0\v'.1v'\h'-1p'
.de CQ          \" put $1 in typewriter font
.ft CW
'if n "\c
'if t \\&\\$1\c
'if n \\&\\$1\c
'if n \&"
\\&\\$2 \\$3 \\$4 \\$5 \\$6 \\$7
'.ft R
..
.\" @(#)ms.acc 1.5 88/02/08 SMI; from UCB 4.2
.	\" AM - accent mark definitions
.bd B 3
.	\" fudge factors for nroff and troff
.if n \{\
.	ds #H 0
.	ds #V .8m
.	ds #F .3m
.	ds #[ \f1
.	ds #] \fP
.\}
.if t \{\
.	ds #H ((1u-(\\\\n(.fu%2u))*.13m)
.	ds #V .6m
.	ds #F 0
.	ds #[ \&
.	ds #] \&
.\}
.	\" simple accents for nroff and troff
.if n \{\
.	ds ' \&
.	ds ` \&
.	ds ^ \&
.	ds , \&
.	ds ~ ~
.	ds ? ?
.	ds ! !
.	ds /
.	ds q
.\}
.if t \{\
.	ds ' \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10-\*(#H)'\'\h"|\\n:u"
.	ds ` \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10-\*(#H)'\`\h'|\\n:u'
.	ds ^ \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*10/11-\*(#H)'^\h'|\\n:u'
.	ds , \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10)',\h'|\\n:u'
.	ds ~ \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu-\*(#H-.1m)'~\h'|\\n:u'
.	ds ? \s-2c\h'-\w'c'u*7/10'\u\h'\*(#H'\zi\d\s+2\h'\w'c'u*8/10'
.	ds ! \s-2\(or\s+2\h'-\w'\(or'u'\v'-.8m'.\v'.8m'
.	ds / \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10-\*(#H)'\z\(sl\h'|\\n:u'
.	ds q o\h'-\w'o'u*8/10'\s-4\v'.4m'\z\(*i\v'-.4m'\s+4\h'\w'o'u*8/10'
.\}
.	\" troff and (daisy-wheel) nroff accents
.ds : \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10-\*(#H+.1m+\*(#F)'\v'-\*(#V'\z.\h'.2m+\*(#F'.\h'|\\n:u'\v'\*(#V'
.ds 8 \h'\*(#H'\(*b\h'-\*(#H'
.ds v \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*9/10-\*(#H)'\v'-\*(#V'\*(#[\s-4v\s0\v'\*(#V'\h'|\\n:u'\*(#]
.ds _ \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*9/10-\*(#H+(\*(#F*2/3))'\v'-.4m'\z\(hy\v'.4m'\h'|\\n:u'
.ds . \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*8/10)'\v'\*(#V*4/10'\z.\v'-\*(#V*4/10'\h'|\\n:u'
.ds 3 \*(#[\v'.2m'\s-2\&3\s0\v'-.2m'\*(#]
.ds o \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu+\w'\(de'u-\*(#H)/2u'\v'-.3n'\*(#[\z\(de\v'.3n'\h'|\\n:u'\*(#]
.ds d- \h'\*(#H'\(pd\h'-\w'~'u'\v'-.25m'\f2\(hy\fP\v'.25m'\h'-\*(#H'
.ds D- D\\k:\h'-\w'D'u'\v'-.11m'\z\(hy\v'.11m'\h'|\\n:u'
.ds th \*(#[\v'.3m'\s+1I\s-1\v'-.3m'\h'-(\w'I'u*2/3)'\s-1o\s+1\*(#]
.ds Th \*(#[\s+2I\s-2\h'-\w'I'u*3/5'\v'-.3m'o\v'.3m'\*(#]
.ds ae a\h'-(\w'a'u*4/10)'e
.ds Ae A\h'-(\w'A'u*4/10)'E
.ds oe o\h'-(\w'o'u*4/10)'e
.ds Oe O\h'-(\w'O'u*4/10)'E
.	\" corrections for vroff
.if v .ds ~ \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*9/10-\*(#H)'\s-2\u~\d\s+2\h'|\\n:u'
.if v .ds ^ \\k:\h'-(\\n(.wu*10/11-\*(#H)'\v'-.4m'^\v'.4m'\h'|\\n:u'
.	\" for low resolution devices (crt and lpr)
.if \n(.H>23 .if \n(.V>19 \
\{\
.	ds : e
.	ds 8 ss
.	ds v \h'-1'\o'\(aa\(ga'
.	ds _ \h'-1'^
.	ds . \h'-1'.
.	ds 3 3
.	ds o a
.	ds d- d\h'-1'\(ga
.	ds D- D\h'-1'\(hy
.	ds th \o'bp'
.	ds Th \o'LP'
.	ds ae ae
.	ds Ae AE
.	ds oe oe
.	ds Oe OE
.\}
.rm #[ #] #H #V #F C
.SH "NAME"
visudo \- edit the sudoers file
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
\fBvisudo\fR [ \fB\-s\fR ] [ \fB\-V\fR ]
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
\fBvisudo\fR edits the \fIsudoers\fR file in a safe fashion, analogous to
\fIvipw\fR\|(8).  \fBvisudo\fR locks the \fIsudoers\fR file against multiple
simultaneous edits, provides basic sanity checks, and checks
for parse errors.  If the \fIsudoers\fR file is currently being
edited you will receive a message to try again later.  In the
default configuration, the \fIvi\fR\|(1) editor is used, but there is
a compile-time option to allow use of whatever editor the
environment variables \f(CWEDITOR\fR or \f(CWVISUAL\fR are set to.
.PP
\fBvisudo\fR parses the \fIsudoers\fR file after the edit and will
not save the changes if there is a syntax error.  Upon finding
an error, \fBvisudo\fR will print a message stating the line \fInumber\fR\|(s)
that the error occurred on and the user will receive the
\*(L"What now?\*(R" prompt.  At this point the user may enter \*(L"e\*(R"
to re-edit the \fIsudoers\fR file, \*(L"x\*(R" to exit without
saving the changes, or \*(L"Q\*(R" to quit and save changes.  The
\*(L"Q\*(R" option should be used with extreme care because if \fBvisudo\fR
believes there to be a parse error, so will \fBsudo\fR and no one
will be able to use \fBsudo\fR again until the error is fixed.
Any other command at this prompt will print a short help message.
If \*(L"e\*(R" is typed to edit the \fIsudoers\fR 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).
.SH "OPTIONS"
\fBvisudo\fR accepts the following command line options:
.Ip "-s" 4
Enable \fBstrict\fR checking of the \fIsudoers\fR file.  If an alias is
used before it is defined, \fBvisudo\fR will consider this a parse
error.  Note that it is not possible to differentiate between an
alias and a hostname or username that consists solely of upper case
letters, digits, and the underscore ('_') character.
.Ip "-V" 4
The \f(CW-V\fR (version) option causes \fBvisudo\fR to print its version number
and exit.
.SH "ERRORS"
.Ip "sudoers file busy, try again later." 4
Someone else is currently editing the \fIsudoers\fR file.
.Ip "/etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied" 4
You didn't run \fBvisudo\fR as root.
.Ip "Can't find you in the passwd database" 4
Your userid does not appear in the system passwd file.
.Ip "Warning: undeclared Alias referenced near ..." 4
Either you are using a {User,Runas,Host,Cmnd}_Alias before
defining it or you have a user or hostname listed that
consists solely of upper case letters, digits, and the
underscore ('_') character.  If the latter, you can ignore
the warnings (\fBsudo\fR will not complain).  In \fB\-s\fR (strict)
mode these are errors, not warnings.
.SH "ENVIRONMENT"
The following environment variables are used only if \fBvisudo\fR
was configured with the \fI--with-env-editor\fR option:
.PP
.Vb 2
\& EDITOR                 Invoked by visudo as the editor
\& VISUAL                 Invoked by visudo if EDITOR is not set
.Ve
.SH "FILES"
.PP
.Vb 2
\& /etc/sudoers           List of who can run what
\& /etc/sudoers.tmp       Lock file for visudo
.Ve
.SH "AUTHOR"
Many people have worked on \fIsudo\fR over the years.  This version of
\fBvisudo\fR was written by:
.PP
.Vb 1
\& Todd Miller            <Todd.Miller@courtesan.com>
.Ve
See the HISTORY file in the sudo distribution for more details.
.SH "BUGS"
If you feel you have found a bug in sudo, please submit a bug report
at http://www.courtesan.com/sudo/bugs/
.SH "DISCLAIMER"
\fBVisudo\fR is provided ``AS IS'\*(R' 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 \fBsudo\fR for complete details.
.SH "CAVEATS"
There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if 
the editor used by \fBvisudo\fR allows shell escapes.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
\fIsudo\fR\|(8), \fIvipw\fR\|(8).

.rn }` ''
.IX Title "visudo 8"
.IX Name "visudo - edit the sudoers file"

.IX Header "NAME"

.IX Header "SYNOPSIS"

.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"

.IX Header "OPTIONS"

.IX Item "-s"

.IX Item "-V"

.IX Header "ERRORS"

.IX Item "sudoers file busy, try again later."

.IX Item "/etc/sudoers.tmp: Permission denied"

.IX Item "Can't find you in the passwd database"

.IX Item "Warning: undeclared Alias referenced near ..."

.IX Header "ENVIRONMENT"

.IX Header "FILES"

.IX Header "AUTHOR"

.IX Header "BUGS"

.IX Header "DISCLAIMER"

.IX Header "CAVEATS"

.IX Header "SEE ALSO"