Install and Use the SUDO Tool to Run Commands as sudo with a Single Keystroke

Installation of SUDO

Clone the SUDO source code from its GitHub repository and enter the project directory:

$ git clone https://github.com/jthistle/SUDO.git
$ cd SUDO/

Run the provided install.sh script. It appends alias definitions to ~/.bashrc that map each executable found in $PATH to an uppercase alias invoking sudo:

# SUDO - shout at bash to su commands
# Distributed under GNU GPLv2, @jthistle on github
shopt -s expand_aliases

IFS_=${IFS}
IFS=":" read -ra PATHS <<< "$PATH"

for i in "${PATHS[@]}"; do
    for j in $(ls "$i"); do
        if [ ${j^^} != $j ] && [ $j != "sudo" ]; then
            alias ${j^^}="sudo $j"
        fi
    done
done

alias SUDO='sudo $(history -p !!)'

IFS=${IFS_}
# end SUDO

The installer backs up the original ~/.bashrc as ~/.bashrc.old. After installation, apply the changes with:

$ source ~/.bashrc

Using Uppercase Commands as sudo

Commands that normally require a sudo prefix can be run by typing the command name in uppercase. For example:

$ sudo mkdir /test_dir
# equivalent to
$ MKDIR /test_dir
$ TOUCH /test_dir/test.txt
$ LS /test_dir

The tool does not bypass the sudo password prompt; you will still be asked for your password when the command executes. Using the traditional sudo prefix remains optional.