Using SUDO in Emacs with Tramp
Using Sudo in Emacs
Do you sometimes need to edit system files in Emacs? Here's how to quickly harness sudo in Emacs.
The Problem
When you need to edit system files, you typically need sudo privileges, but launching Emacs with sudo can cause permission issues with your config files. The solution? TRAMP mode, which is built into Emacs.
Open Files with Sudo
Access files with sudo privileges directly by using this syntax in the minibuffer:
C-x C-f /sudo::/path/to/file
or to browse directories:
C-x d /sudo::/some/directory
For example, to browse /tmp/ with sudo privileges:
C-x d /sudo::/tmp/
You can specify which user to use with sudo:
/sudo:root@rc:/path/to/file
Create Abbreviations
To save typing, consider creating an abbreviation in abbrev-mode. Here's mine:
"sdo" "/sudo:root@rc:/@@" xah-abbrev-ahf
You can also create one to revert to non-sudo use:
"hme" "/home/yal/@@" xah-abbrev-ahf
xah-abbrev-ahf gives me the abbreviation without the space
On the @@ see this article from Stack Exchange
Never Type Your Sudo Password Again
For maximum convenience, you can configure sudo never to ask for a password:
1. Set your default editor:
sudo update-alternatives --config editor
2. Edit the sudoers file:
sudo visudo
3. Add this line (replace 'yal' with your username):
yal ALL~(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL
Note Bene: This reduces security by allowing any process running under your user account to execute commands as root without a password.
That's all for today folks!