I have to execute a script that calls a second script for some report data. The second script can only be executed by root in root's environment. So I need to be able to run 'sudo second_script.sh' as root without being asked for a password. How can I set that up?

I'm going to assume you're using Ubuntu. Try 'sudo su'. This will permanently make you root so after executing your script make sure you type 'exit' or close the CLI.

Hi DrStrangepork,

Usually, running sudo command will ask for password if you are using a normal user. but, if you can tell us the distro you are using then maybe you might get some better replies.
As suggested by Chomp, if you using ubuntu, then you can try 'sudo su' to run your script, and use 'exit' to close the connection for sudo later. I am using RHEL-5 , and every time I use 'sudo' command, I need to provide root password to go ahead.

Cheers,
Kapil.

Here's some more background. I am running Ubuntu (lenny/sid). Basically, this script has to run as nagios, and nagios must then be able to execute 'sudo second_script.sh" without being prompted for a password. Further, I can't (shouldn't) give nagios any more permissions than the minimum necessary to execute this one command. That is what I am trying to setup. I tried running just 'sudo su' as nagios and was prompted for a password (I didn't think that would work). And the user nagios does not have a password in /etc/passwd, so piping one to 'sudo -S' is not going to work either.

And here is part of my /etc/sudoers (I'm trying as little security as possible and working my way backwards):

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL
nagios ALL=(ALL) ALL

Even with that configuration, running any command as nagios with 'sudo' requires me to enter a password. Running the same command as root does not prompt me for a password.

This is what I use.

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL
yourname ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

Then you don't even need the password when using sudo on the command line.

BTW I should get a thanks for this one, I have answered this question twice
in the last 5 minutes.

I set up that same configuration, and I still get prompted for a password....

I tried:

nagios ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

and

nagios ALL=NOPASSWD: ALL

and both still require a password. There aren't any services that need to be restarted after changing /etc/sudoers right? Just logout as nagios and log back in?

OK, you have to edit the file using "visudo" as root.
type visudo sudoers

then make the changes and save. you have to edit with "visudo"

Please note that from a security standpoint, you really don't want to be doing either of these. The whole idea behind sudo is to give root privileges for only those commands necessary for the user to use. My personal opinion is that the *buntus should be flogged for their bastardization of sudo (but that is another rant).

Anyway, the Gentoo documentation may help you figure out the syntax. One thing to note is that the sudoers file enforces the last rule it finds that matches, so if you have a later rule that requires a password, that could force a password here.

have a command alias set up, and then user priv set up.