This small utility is the Windows equivalent of the Linux command sudo.
You can use it to elevate any process from the Windows terminal/command-prompt:
sudo choco install <product>By default, it displays UAC prompt every time you execute it. If you prefer a Linux user experience when sudo prompts only the first time it runs, you can achieve this by changing the configuration:
sudo -config:run=multi
CLI documentation: sudo -?
This project was inspired by rather excellent Windows utility gsudo (https://github.com/gerardog/gsudo), which I highly recommend.
gsudo solves the same problem as win-sudo and it has reach functionality that not only overlaps with win-sudo but also arguebly surpasses it.
So why win-sudo then?
Whell, the trigger for this work was rather accidental. When I started setting up my new Win11 environment I discovered that gsudo stopped handling console redirection correctly. So I decided to quickly develop my own solution.
While the idea of relaunching the elevated process is generic and we all done that, gerardog is the one who decided to utilize it so elegantly. So the all credit goes to him.
So Ihave implemented my own approach which is somewhat slightly different to gsudo:
- Instead of relying on
runasverb trick win-sudo launches the elevated process via an executablesudo-host, which triggers elevation vial the embedded application manifest (MS recommended approach). Dont't get me wrong, I still often userunas, buf it always feels like I am breaking the rules... - When "Credentials Cache" is used win-sudo completely returns control to the terminal after the elevated process execution. The same way as sudo on Linux does. This is something that gsudo does very differently. I uses the elevated host process that is effectively substitutes the terminal untill the "Credentials Cache" expires. It is actually an interesting gsudo idea but it feels a little unnatural.
So I have done it. After two days developing it (it wa fun) I even published the tool on WinGet: winget install win-sudo.
But the irony is ... gsudo is just fine on Win11. It was my own mistake that made methink that gsudo stopped working. So it is still that excellent product that I know so long.
Meaning that the trigger for this development was wrong as win-get does not solve any problem. But only doesit in a slightly different way comparing togsudo.
You can use this repo for educational purposes or even install and use win-sudo (I do 🙂) if the product difference I described above makes sense to you. You can install it from winget.