Sudo is "Superuser Do"

I enjoy the etymology of technology words. Understanding it can be a handle into using the tool well. One example: sudo.

sudo comes from “Superuser do”, allowing you to run a program with the security privileges of another user, usually the root superuser. Here’s an example from a terminal near you:

$ <dangerous-command>
dangerous-command: NOT super-user
$ sudo <dangerous-command>
Doing a dangerous thing...

This is why programmers say “su DO” (pronouncing “do” like “do”) rather than the softer “sudo”. They aren’t (just) being pedantic; it’s the more correct way to pronounce the word.

And a good reminder: you’re doing something as a superuser. We need to check the sudo !! reflex and remember that this a bypass of the computer’s privilege system.