How do I add a user to the “sudo” group?

Question

In /etc/sudoers I see this:

# Allow members of group sudo to execute any command after they have
# provided their password
# (Note that later entries override this, so you might need to move
# it further down)
%sudo ALL=(ALL) ALL

So how do I add a user to that "sudo" group?

Answer 1

sudo usermod -aG sudo <username>

The a is very important. Without it they'll be removed from all other groups.

See also:

• How can I add a new user as sudoer using the command line?

Answer 2

You can also use a graphical interface. Click on the gear on the top right of the panel, then select "System Settings" and then "User Accounts"

You need to click the little unlock button to be able to edit things in this window. Then click on the person's account and select the proper dropdown for "Account Type"

Answer 3

You can either use the user management GUI for it (same place where you create users), or use sudo adduser <username> sudo in the command line.

Answer 4

Its really simple if you are using Unity as your desktop environment.

If you have created a user already then you can simply change it from Standard to Administrator, else make sure that you selected Administrator when creating a new one.

_{Don't forget to unlock before trying to change it}

Answer 5

sudo gpasswd -a $USER sudo