Learn how to set the SUDO_ASKPASS Variable in Ubuntu. Our Server Management Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

Set SUDO_ASKPASS Variable in Ubuntu

When we work with the Linux command-line utility sudo, sometimes we need to input our password non-interactively. This is when the SUDO_ASKPASS environment variable comes in handy. It tells sudo which program to use when it needs to prompt for a password without user interaction.

This is useful while running commands via graphical applications that do not have a terminal for password entry. Today, we will take a look at how to set up and use the SUDO_ASKPASS variable.

The SUDO_ASKPASS variable can be set via two methods.

Method 1: Setting the Environment Variable

1. First, open a terminal.
2. Then, run this command:

   export SUDO_ASKPASS=/usr/bin/ssh-askpass

   Here, export is a shell builtin. It sets SUDO_ASKPASS to the value /usr/bin/ssh-askpass. In fact, this value is the path to the ssh-askpass program. This is a common askpass program for Ubuntu. If our program is located in a different location, we have to mention it here.

   Furthermore, we can make this change take effect across logins, by adding the export command to our ~/.bashrc file.

Method 2: Modifying the sudo.conf File

1. First, open a terminal.
2. Then, run this command:

   sudo nano /etc/sudo.conf
3. Next, we have to uncomment the line for the askpass program by removing the # at the beginning of the line.
4. Now, we have to save the file and exit.

The above steps will apply the change system-wide and persist across logins.

How to test the SUDO_ASKPASS Variable

After setting the SUDO_ASKPASS variable, we can test it by running a command with sudo -A:

SUDO_ASKPASS=/usr/bin/ssh-askpass sudo -A id

It prompts us for our password with the askpass program specified and then executes the id command with elevated privileges.

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Conclusion

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to set the SUDO_ASKPASS Variable in Ubuntu.