[Gllug] sudo and more interesting commands

[Bruce Richardson]

On Fri, Jul 02, 2004 at 12:33:01PM +0100, Tom wrote:
> scenario is I want to run a command like ...
> 
> $ echo foo > bar
> 
> as a normal user where bar is a file writable only by root.  Using sudo
> I would try ...
> 
> $ sudo echo foo > bar
> 
> but that wouldn't work as only echo is being run as root, nor can I use
> a sub shell ... what can I do to sudo a command that is more complicated
> that <command> [args]??

Sudo is explictly designed *not* to allow you to do that.  If it were
not, you could do 

	sudo permittedcommand > /etc/shadow

Obviously, this would be a bad thing.  If you want a user to be able to
perform that kind of arbitrary task, you'll have to give them su rather
than sudo access.  If you have a specific need for a user to perform a
priveleged task and send the output to a priveleged location, write a
script that does it and then give them sudo access to that.

-- 
Bruce

Hierophant: someone who remembers, when you are on the way down,
everything you did to them on the way up.
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