How to Run Linux Commands without Typing Sudo Password

Have you ever gotten annoyed when executing a specific command that requires sudo to ask for a password?

If you are a root user, you don't have to type the password while executing any system-level command. However, regular users with sudo privileges must repeatedly type the same password while running the sudo command per session.

Let’s take an apt command that requires sudo privileges and asks for the password. This can all be avoided using the below-mentioned method.

Table of Contents

Run Particular Command without Sudo Password

We must add a new entry in the sudoers file to avoid typing passwords for each command requiring sudo privileges.

For that, execute the below command to open the sudoers file.

Recommended
sudo visudo

In some Linux distributions, the visudo command is not provided. In such cases, open the sudoers file using the below command.

Not Recommended
sudo nano /etc/sudoers

Below is the behavior of any of the above commands.

Executing visudo command to open the sudoers file

After executing the above command, open another terminal and take the command requiring sudo privileges, which you want to avoid typing the password.

In my case, it is an apt command; for that, I have to find the absolute path of the command using the type or whereis command, as shown below.

type apt

Below is the behavior of the above command.

Finding the absolute path of the command

As you can see above, the absolute path of the apt command is the /usr/bin/apt path. You can replace the command with something else and note down the path, then go back to the previous terminal window and add the below command at the end of the sudoers file.

ubuntushell ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/apt

Make sure to replace "ubuntushell" with your username and replace the /usr/bin/apt path with your own command path. Then add this line of code at the end of the sudoers file, as shown below.

Save and re-execute the same command. In my case, the apt command with sudo privileges will not ask for the password again, as shown below.

Run Multiple Commands without a Sudo Password

Want to add more commands to avoid typing sudo passwords? Then add the absolute path of all commands, separated by commas, as shown below.

username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/apt, /usr/bin/systemctl

As you can see above, I have added the systemctl command, which requires sudo privileges separated by commas. However, you can add as many as you want.