Microsoft is taking steps to not only make Windows Server 2025 more secure but also easier to administer. To do this, it is adding sudointo the mix.
You can already test the Windows Server 2025 build, via the Insider Preview Build that allows you to enable sudo via an on/off switch in the Settings app (only available after enabling developer mode).
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You’re probably thinking that Windows already allows privilege elevation with the UAC prompt. However, there are some commands and tools that still require you to be an administrator to use them. The addition of sudo will circumvent that. There is no indication if Windows will allow admins to configure sudo similarly to how it can be done on Linux, but hopefully they’ll see to it to make that a part of the system.
The addition of sudo hasn’t been spotted in Windows 11; it could come to pass that (after the initial testing in Windows Server 2025) it could trickle down. In fact, according to Windows Latest, it looks like the feature will be coming to Windows 11. In addition, it does look like there will be some configuration options available for how commands run using sudo. You’ll be able to choose from In a New Window, With Input Disabled, and Inline. At the moment, it’s not 100% clear how those options will function.
What is sudo?
Anyone who’s used Linux knows sudo. For those who haven’t, it stands for superuser do and allows standard users to execute commands that would otherwise require the use of administrator privileges. Prior to sudo, to run commands or applications that require admin privileges, users would have to either log in as the root user or su to the root user account.
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Sudo adds a layer of security to Linux that has gone unmatched by Windows for a long time. It allows admins to define what users can access admin privileges and even control what applications those privileges apply to. For example, you could restrict users to a specific command (such as apt) with a line like:
%sudo ALL=(ALL:ALL) /bin/apt
That line would be added using the sudo visudo command. It’s complicated but very possible.
This is a great step for Microsoft to allow easier administration of its operating system. Hopefully, it’ll make it possible for Windows admins to get as granular with sudo as Linux admins.
