Question:

As a Windows administrator who uses MECM and InTune for system management and deployment, I am curious about the recent introduction of Sudo commands in Windows. How can Sudo commands enhance my Windows management skills and tasks? Is it worth investing time and effort to learn Sudo commands, given that I have no prior knowledge of Linux and I am unlikely to use Linux in the future? What are the benefits and drawbacks of learning Sudo commands versus other Windows-related topics?

Answer:

Sudo for Windows: A New Feature for Windows Administrators

Windows 11 has introduced a new feature called Sudo for Windows, which allows users to run elevated commands directly from an unelevated console session. This feature is inspired by the sudo command in Linux, which is widely used by system administrators and developers to execute commands with root privileges. In this article, we will explore how Sudo for Windows can enhance your Windows management skills and tasks, and whether it is worth learning it if you have no prior knowledge of Linux.

Sudo for Windows is a new way for users to run elevated commands without having to first open a new elevated console. It is an ergonomic and familiar solution for users who want to elevate a command without switching contexts or losing their current working directory. Sudo for Windows is also open-sourced on GitHub, where you can find more information about the project and its development.

To enable Sudo for Windows, you need to navigate to the Settings > For Developers page in Windows Settings and toggle on the “Enable Sudo” option. Alternatively, you can enable Sudo for Windows by running the following command in an elevated console session:

“`

sudo config –enable

“` Sudo for Windows currently supports three different configuration options: in a new window, input closed, or inline. You can change the configuration option using the drop-down menu in the Settings > For Developers page, or by running the `

sudo config –enable

` command in an elevated console session. The configuration options determine how Sudo for Windows runs the elevated process in the current window:

• In a new window: Sudo for Windows will open a new elevated console window and run the command in that window. This is the default configuration option when sudo is enabled.
• Input closed: Sudo for Windows will run the elevated process in the current window, but the new process will be spawned with its stdin closed. This means that the new process will not accept any user input, so this configuration will not work for processes that require further user input after elevation.
• Inline: Sudo for Windows will run the elevated process with its stdin, stdout, and stderr all connected to the current window. This means the new elevated process can take in input and route output to the current window. This configuration is most similar to the behavior of sudo on other operating systems.

When elevating a process from the command-line with sudo, a UAC dialog will appear asking the user to confirm the elevation. Once the user confirms the elevation, the process will be elevated based on the configuration option selected by the user. You can check out the optional parameters for the sudo command by running `sudo -h` in your console.

How can Sudo for Windows enhance your Windows management skills and tasks?

Sudo for Windows can enhance your Windows management skills and tasks in several ways:

• It can save you time and hassle by allowing you to run elevated commands from the same console session, without having to open a new elevated console or switch user accounts.
• It can improve your productivity and workflow by preserving your current working directory and environment variables when elevating a command, so you don’t have to re-navigate or re-configure your console session.
• It can increase your security and control by giving you more granular access to elevated commands, without granting full administrator privileges to your user account or console session.
• It can expand your knowledge and versatility by exposing you to a new command-line tool that is widely used in Linux and other operating systems, and that may have some features or options that are not available in the native Windows commands.

Is it worth learning Sudo for Windows if you have no prior knowledge of Linux and are unlikely to use Linux in the future?

The answer to this question depends on your personal preferences, goals, and needs as a Windows administrator. However, some possible reasons why you may want to learn Sudo for Windows are:

• You are interested in learning new skills and tools that can enhance your Windows management capabilities and performance.
• You are curious about how Linux and other operating systems work and how they differ from Windows in terms of command-line usage and administration.
• You are looking for a challenge and a way to broaden your horizons and perspectives as a system administrator or developer.
• You are planning to work with Linux or other operating systems in the future, or you want to be prepared for such a possibility.

Some possible reasons why you may not want to learn Sudo for Windows are:

• You are satisfied with your current Windows management skills and tools and you don’t see the need or benefit of learning a new command-line tool.
• You are not interested in Linux or other operating systems and you don’t want to spend time or effort on learning something that is not relevant or useful to your work or goals.
• You are concerned about the potential risks or drawbacks of using Sudo for Windows, such as compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities, or user errors.
• You have other Windows-related topics or priorities that you want to focus on or learn more about.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of learning Sudo for Windows versus other Windows-related topics?

The benefits and drawbacks of learning Sudo for Windows versus other Windows-related topics depend on the specific topics and the level of difficulty and complexity involved. However, some general benefits and drawbacks are:

Benefits:

• Learning Sudo for Windows can give you a new skill and tool that can improve your Windows management efficiency and effectiveness.
• Learning Sudo for Windows can expose you to a new command-line paradigm that can expand your knowledge and versatility as a system administrator or developer.
• Learning Sudo for Windows can prepare you for working with Linux or other operating systems in the future, or at least give you some familiarity and confidence with them.

Drawbacks:

• Learning Sudo for Windows can take time and effort that could be spent on learning other Windows-related topics that may be more relevant or useful to your work or goals.
• Learning Sudo for Windows can introduce some challenges or risks that may not be present or significant in other Windows-related topics, such as compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities, or user errors.
• Learning Sudo for Windows can distract you from other Windows-related topics that may be more important or urgent to your work or goals.

Conclusion

Sudo

for Windows is a new feature in Windows 11 that allows users to run elevated commands directly from an unelevated console session. It is inspired by the sudo command in Linux, which is widely used by system administrators and developers to execute commands with root privileges. Sudo for Windows can enhance your Windows management skills and tasks by saving you time and hassle, improving your productivity and workflow, increasing your security and control, and expanding your knowledge and versatility. However, learning Sudo for Windows may not be worth it if you have no prior knowledge of Linux and are unlikely to use Linux in the future, or if you have other Windows-related topics or priorities that you want to focus on or learn more about. Ultimately, the decision to learn Sudo for Windows depends on your personal preferences, goals, and needs as a Windows administrator..