If I am using the command line in xterm, gnome-terminal, etc., I can keep sudo
from re-prompting for a password, within some limits, or I can disable it.
As a compromise between usability and security, I usually just want this re-querying wait-time lengthened.
By default, there is only a 15 minute grace-period after entering a sudo password before it prompts for it again. To change this to 45 minutes, I can edit /etc/sudoers
, and set timestamp_timeout to the waiting period I want (in minutes) .
If I am within the same terminal session, and start a new shell (typing in csh
or bash
) the wait period is respected.
But if I go to another window to access the command line there, it will immediately ask for my password if I try to sudo
.
Within the same pseudoterminal session (pts
) (for example, if I spawn a new shell inside the same gnome-terminal window), the timeout is respected.
If I launch a new xterm, gnome-terminal, etc., I must enter credentials again.
Despite being the only user active on my home system (a single-user system), etc., sudo doesn't trust that all of my pts
entries are from the same user:
~/pseudoland$ w
01:27:39 up 1 day, 15:03, 7 users, load average: 0.32, 0.71, 0.77
USER TTY FROM LOGIN@ IDLE JCPU PCPU WHAT
jgb tty1 23:56 1:30m 0.55s 0.51s -bash
jgb tty7 :0 Tue10 39:03m 2:28m 0.76s gnome-session
root pts/1 :0.0 00:30 56:23 0.01s 0.01s /bin/bash
jgb pts/3 :0.0 01:16 0.00s 0.59s 3.22s gnome-terminal
jgb pts/4 :0.0 01:27 26.00s 0.23s 0.23s /bin/bash
jgb pts/5 :0.0 01:17 9:26 0.23s 0.23s bash
Is there a way to tell sudo that it should regard all the windows I open as coming from the same user, and to not ask again for my password if the last sudo timer hasn't expired?