Allow specific command to run without password

Domarius · 06-28-2019, 04:09 PM

I have an app that runs on startup (protonmail-bridge, it allows me to use Protonmail with Thunderbird) but it asks for the password every single time...

I've found two variations on a theme, neither work;

Code:

User ALL=command, NOPASSWD: command

and

Code:

User ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: command

Currently I have

Code:

Domarius ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: protonmail-bridge

In either case, I get an error after CTRL+O and CTRL+X (save and quit), it says:

Code:

>>> /etc/sudoers: syntax error near line 29 <<<

BW-userx · 06-28-2019, 05:07 PM

it can get completed I guess,

Code:

PASSWD and NOPASSWD

    By default, sudo requires that a user authenticate him or herself before 
running a command. This behavior can be modified via the NOPASSWD tag. Like a 
Runas_Spec, the NOPASSWD tag sets a default for the commands that follow it in 
the Cmnd_Spec_List. Conversely, the PASSWD tag can be used to reverse things. 
For example:


    ray	rushmore = NOPASSWD: /bin/kill, /bin/ls, /usr/bin/lprm
    
would allow the user ray to run /bin/kill, /bin/ls, and /usr/bin/lprm as root on 
the machine rushmore without authenticating himself. If we only want ray to be 
able to run /bin/kill without a password the entry would be:


    ray	rushmore = NOPASSWD: /bin/kill, PASSWD: /bin/ls, /usr/bin/lprm
        
Note, however, that the PASSWD tag has no effect on users who are in the group 
specified by the exempt_group option.


By default, if the NOPASSWD tag is applied to any of the entries for a user on 
the current host, he or she will be able to run “sudo -l” without a password. 
Additionally, a user may only run “sudo -v” without a password if the NOPASSWD 
tag is present for all a user's entries that pertain to the current host. This 
behavior may be overridden via the verifypw and listpw options.

https://www.sudo.ws/man/sudoers.man.html

rknichols · 06-28-2019, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domarius

Currently I have

Code:

Domarius ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: protonmail-bridge

In either case, I get an error after CTRL+O and CTRL+X (save and quit), it says:

Code:

>>> /etc/sudoers: syntax error near line 29 <<<

You need the full path to the command, e.g.:

Code:

Domarius ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /path/to/protonmail-bridge

Domarius · 06-29-2019, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rknichols

You need the full path to the command, e.g.:

Code:

Domarius ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /path/to/protonmail-bridge

Thanks

I found the path to the executable with "whereis" and I saved the sudoers file without errors.

The problem is this didn't solve my original problem - the "keyring unlock" dialogue still shows up at startup when ProtonMail Bridge is enabled to startup with the OS.

Annoyingly, it seems there is no way in Linux to find out exactly WHAT program wants access when this happens (which seems like a very long running oversight). The only way I know Protonmail Bridge is the culprit is by turning off "Startup" in its own settings, and then the box stops appearing. And the only way I know "protonmail-bridge" is the executable is by trying a stab in the dark, typing "proton" on the command line, and using TAB for auto-complete, and found that it does indeed run when I type that from the command line. But who knows - maybe when it runs at startup it calls upon some other executable... I have no way of knowing...