README.md

windows-sudo

Like the Linux "sudo" command, but for Windows. Uses Python and pywin32 to run Administrator code.

Installation

1. Install Python 3 using for all users and .
2. py -m pip install pywin32 pyyaml
3. install_sudo.bat
4. Log off and back on, to make .py files valid path extensions. Until then, use explicit "sudo.py".

Operation

Usually . . . sudo your command here

If you are forgetful . . . sudo --help or sudo /?

To get an interactive Administrator session . . .

sudo cmd or sudo bash

To pause the Administrator window so you can read the messages before they disappear. . .

sudo --pause your command here

Special commands

To edit the goofy Windows version of /etc/hosts . . .

sudo --hosts

To set environment variables from the command line . . .

sudo --set-user-env="arg1: val1, arg2: val2"

or

sudo --set-system-env="arg1: val1, arg2: val2"

(the above argument strings are in YAML format, and must be quoted because the spaces are part of the syntax.)

To remove environment variables . . .

sudo --set-user-env="arg: None"

Environment variables "PATH" and "PATHEXT" are a special case, and append their argument to the path. So, to add "C:\Salt" to the search path, use . . .

sudo --set-system-env="PATH: C:\Salt"

To remove items from the PATH or PATHEXT, prepend the name with a dash . . .

sudo --set-system-env="PATH -C:\Salt"

For lazy systems administrators who use Salt, any command beginning with "salt-" will be run with a pause . . .

sudo salt-call --local test.version

Last of all, sudo.py installs itself.

cd <the windows-sudo root directory>\code
py sudo.py --install-sudo-command`