Sudo: the well-known Linux command arrives on Windows 11

Microsoft has announced the introduction of Sudo for Windows 11 as part of an early preview release to help users run commands with administrator privileges; although technically it was not possible to do it on the standard terminal (the one that derives from DOS) of Windows or on its successor PowerShell, you can still use the Windows Subsystem for Linux, which allows you to use text functions of the terminal of some Linux distros (Debian, Ubuntu and Kali, mainly).

How come “Sudo” which for years has been and still is a pillar of Linux arrives on Windows 11

“Sudo for Windows is a new way for users to run elevated commands directly from a non-elevated console session [a privilegi di amministratore]” has declared Jordi Adoumie, Product Manager at Microsoft, adding: “This is an ergonomic and familiar solution for users who want to elevate a command without having to first open a new elevated console [a privilegi di amministratore].”

Sudo, short for superuser do, it's a plan for computer operating systems Unix type (which includes Linux and macOS distributions) which allows users to run programs with the security privileges of another userusually a user with elevated permissions (for example, an administrator).

The feature is available for versions of Windows 11 starting with build 26045 and can be activated by going to Settings > System > For Developers and setting “Enable sudo” to On.

Sudo for Windows offers three options: run applications in a new elevated console windowrun the elevated process in the current window but with the input stream (stdin) closed and in inline mode

“The inline configuration option runs the elevated process in the current window and the process is able to receive input from the current console session” warns the Redmond company in its documentation.

The Redmond company also stated that: “Not an elevated process [a privilegi di amministratore] can send input to the elevated process in the same console window or get information from the output in the current window in this configuration.”

Microsoft said it is also in the process of open-sourcing the su project GitHub, encouraging other users to contribute to the initiative, as well as report problems and submit feature requests.

What changes from the Windows subsystem to Linux

It `s important to note that “Sudo for Windows” represents a significant alternative to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL); while WSL provides a complete Linux operating system environment within Windows, Sudo for Windows focuses specifically on running commands with administrator privileges from a non-elevated console session.

This difference means that Sudo for Windows is designed to provide quick and direct access to commands elevated to administrator privileges without the need to boot an entire instance of Linux operating system, which is essentially nothing more than a virtual machine (albeit text-only and without graphic support).

While both solutions aim to improve the experience of developers and power users, Sudo for Windows presents a more focused and ergonomic approach to executing commands with elevated privileges on the Windows platform.

What changes will the average user face

For the average Windows 11 user, the introduction of Sudo represents a significant step towards more efficient and intuitive management of commands with administrator privileges; This new feature greatly simplifies the process of running elevated commands, eliminating the need to open a new console elevated to administrator privileges.

Users will benefit from a smoother experience when performing administrative operations, improving productivity and reducing the time spent on routine operations; direct access to Sudo via system settings makes its activation and configuration accessible even for less experienced users, helping to democratize the use of advanced commands.

The inclusion of different command execution options allows users to tailor the experience to their preferences, offering additional flexibility and control; opening the project on GitHub offers further opportunities for community collaboration, allowing users to contribute, report issues and suggest new features, thus helping to shape the evolution of Sudo for Windows collaboratively.