Sudo
/ˈsuː.duː/ · Noun · Verb · Slang & Abbreviations · Origin: 1980
Definitions
Superuser Do — a Unix command that executes a command with elevated (root) privileges. In tech culture, used metaphorically: 'I sudo asked my boss for a raise.' The xkcd 'sudo make me a sandwich' strip is canon.
In plain English: A command that gives you admin powers on a computer — used as slang for doing something with authority or overriding a refusal.
Origin Story
Two words, root access, and a surprisingly polite name
The `sudo` command, which lets permitted users execute commands as the superuser (root), stands for **superuser do**. It was written by Bob Coggeshall and Cliff Spencer at SUNY Buffalo around 1980. The original idea was simple: rather than giving everyone the root password, let specific users run specific commands with elevated privileges, with full audit logging.
Some people read it as **"switch user, do"** since `sudo -u` can run commands as any user, not just root. Both readings are accepted, though the original authors intended "superuser do." The modern version, maintained by Todd C. Miller since 1994, has grown into a sophisticated policy engine that's installed on virtually every Unix-like system.
The most famous sudo message is the lecture it gives you on first use: *"With great power comes great responsibility."* Actually, that's Spider-Man. The real default message is: *"We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System Administrator."*
Coined by: Bob Coggeshall and Cliff Spencer
Context: SUNY Buffalo, circa 1980
Fun fact: The xkcd comic #149 ('Sandwich') popularized the joke of using sudo to compel obedience: 'Make me a sandwich.' 'No.' 'sudo make me a sandwich.' 'Okay.' It's now a universal nerd reference.