Microsoft's Sudo Command Component for Windows 11 is Now Fully Open-Source

In February this year, developers noticed Microsoft's efforts to develop a Sudo command component for Windows 11. Originally a widely used command in Linux and Unix for elevating permissions, Microsoft has now developed its version, Sudo for Windows, based on the same principles and objectives.

As a component intended for developers, Microsoft chose to open-source it. However, at that time, being in the testing phase, Microsoft did not fully disclose the source code of Sudo.exe.

At yesterday's Build 2024 developer conference, the Sudo development team announced they had completed the preparations, making Sudo.exe now fully open-source on Microsoft's Github page.

Besides open-sourcing the component itself, Microsoft has also provided developers with numerous resources, including initial submissions and various documents and images. Developers can download the source code to compile or port it themselves.

Based on preliminary testing, Sudo boasts excellent compatibility and can even be run on Windows 7, which means it naturally works on Windows 8.x, Windows 10, etc. However, the official Microsoft version of Sudo mainly supports Windows 11.

The primary function of Sudo.exe is to quickly elevate permissions in the command prompt or PowerShell. For example, in a normal user mode command prompt window, you can use sudo to quickly open an administrator mode, eliminating the need to rerun CMD with administrator privileges.

Although this component is already integrated into Windows 11 24H2, it is considered a developer feature due to security concerns. Users must enable developer mode and Sudo in Windows 11 settings before they can use it.

Additionally, by default, this component does not support server operating systems like Windows Server. Developers needing it can manually copy it to C:\Windows\System32\ on Windows Server and run sudo.exe as needed.