I'm trying to configure sudo so that my user account can perform system/package updates rather than having to be root. I've edited the file as shown below, but as it stands, it will allow my user account to launch the applications listed in the "Cmnd_Alias", but fails to prompt me for my user password before performing the task.

Here's my /etc/sudoers file:

*********************************

# /etc/sudoers
#
# This file MUST be edited with the 'visudo' command as root.
#
# See the man page for details on how to write a sudoers file.
#

# Host alias specification
Host_Alias PINGSTORM = localhost

# User alias specification
User_Alias UPDATERS = jigs
User_Alias PACKAGERS = jigs

# Cmnd alias specification
Cmnd_Alias CONTROL = /usr/bin/apt-cache, /usr/bin/apt-get, /usr/bin/aptitude
Cmnd_Alias SEEKER = /usr/bin/dpkg, /usr/bin/wget

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL
jigs PINGSTORM = CONTROL
jigs PINGSTORM = SEEKER

**********************************

When I list the available sudo tasks for my user account, it displays the following:

jigs@pingstorm:~$ sudo -l
User jigs may run the following commands on this host:
(root) /usr/bin/apt-cache, /usr/bin/apt-get, /usr/bin/aptitude
(root) /usr/bin/dpkg, /usr/bin/wget
jigs@pingstorm:~$

I have not used the NOPASSWD tag, so I'm a bit confused as to why it's not requiring me to authenticate my user account with the proper password. I'm hoping someone with more knowledge about sudo can point out the error(s) in my sudoers file and correct the lack of password input.

Thanks for any input...

Try adding the PASSWD attribute.

jigs PINGSTORM = PASSWD: CONTROL
jigs PINGSTORM = PASSWD: SEEKER

Hi leonscape,

Thanks for the reply. I edited the sudoers file to reflect your suggestion and it had no effect on the process. It still allows me to perform the task as my user, "jigs", but without user authentication. I'll continue to digest the 'man sudoers' data to better understand how it works and pay special attention to the defaults within sudo.

Any further suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks...

that is odd
try
jigs PINGSTORM = CONTROL PASSWD: ALL
jigs PINGSTORM = SEEKER PASSWD: ALL

Hi foo_bar_foo,

This produces "syntax errors" for those two lines within the sudoers file...

Update / Solved

Sudo is now requiring my user account to authenticate as expected. I had added my user “jigs” to the sudo group shortly after installing Sarge. Apparently, sudo doesn't require a password from users who are in the 'sudo' group (thanks Lacek for pointing this out). Once I removed my user from the sudo group, everything behaved as expected.

Also, thank you leonscape and foo_bar_foo for your input.