How to Install sudo on Linux CentOS 5.7 Server

CentOS 5.7 was released in 2011, and its support reached end-of-life in 2017. It is highly recommended to upgrade to a more recent version of CentOS, such as CentOS 7 or CentOS 8, to ensure that you have the latest security updates and features.

However, if you still need to install sudo on CentOS 5.7, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Update the System

Before installing sudo, it’s a good idea to update your system to ensure you have the latest available packages.

Open the terminal on your CentOS 5.7 server.
Run the following command to update the system:

yum update

Step 2: Install sudo

After updating your system, you can install sudo using the following steps:

Run the following command to install sudo:

yum install sudo

If prompted, confirm the installation by typing y and pressing Enter.

[root@geeks ~]# yum install sudo -y
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
 * base: mirror.oscc.org.my
 * extras: mirror.oscc.org.my
 * rpmforge: ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de
 * updates: mirror.oscc.org.my
base                                                                         | 1.1 kB     00:00
extras                                                                       | 2.1 kB     00:00
rpmforge                                                                     | 1.1 kB     00:00
updates                                                                      | 1.9 kB     00:00
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package sudo.i386 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

====================================================================================================
 Package             Arch                Version                          Repository           Size
====================================================================================================
Installing:
 sudo                i386                1.7.2p1-13.el5                   base                351 k

Transaction Summary
====================================================================================================
Install       1 Package(s)
Upgrade       0 Package(s)

Total download size: 351 k
Downloading Packages:
sudo-1.7.2p1-13.el5.i386.rpm                                                 | 351 kB     00:02
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Installing     : sudo                                                                         1/1

Installed:
  sudo.i386 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5

Complete!

[root@geeks ~]# sudo -h
usage: sudo -h | -K | -k | -L | -V
usage: sudo -v [-AknS] [-p prompt]
usage: sudo -l[l] [-AknS] [-g groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-U username] [-u username|#uid] [-g
            groupname|#gid] [command]
usage: sudo [-AbEHknPS] [-r role] [-t type] [-C fd] [-g groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-u
            username|#uid] [-g groupname|#gid] [VAR=value] [-i|-s] []
usage: sudo -e [-AknS] [-r role] [-t type] [-C fd] [-g groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-u
            username|#uid] file ...

Step 3: Configure sudo

To grant sudo privileges to a user, you will need to edit the /etc/sudoers file.

Open the /etc/sudoers file using the visudo command:

sudo visudo

Look for the following line in the file:

## Allow root to run any commands anywhere
root    ALL=(ALL)       ALL

Below the line mentioned above, add the following line to grant sudo privileges to a user (replace “username” with the actual username):

username    ALL=(ALL)       ALL

Save and exit the file.

Commands Mentioned:

• yum update – Updates the system packages to their latest versions.
• yum install sudo – Installs the sudo package on the system.
• visudo – A command-line tool used to safely edit the /etc/sudoers file.

Conclusion

Now you know how to install and configure sudo on a CentOS 5.7 server. By following these steps, you’ve successfully granted sudo privileges to a user, allowing them to execute commands as the root user. However, it’s important to reiterate that CentOS 5.7 is outdated and no longer supported, so it’s highly recommended to upgrade to a more recent and secure version of CentOS for better security and feature support.

By learning how to install and configure sudo, you’ve gained a valuable skill that will help you manage user privileges on Linux servers more effectively. This will enable you to maintain a secure and well-organized server environment, particularly when working with multiple users who need varying levels of access.

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