Is Sudo Enabled by Default on Ubuntu Server

This article confirms whether sudo privileges are active out of the box on Ubuntu Server. It details the default security configuration regarding the root account and provides instructions on how to verify and manage sudo access for user accounts.

Yes, sudo is enabled by default on Ubuntu Server installations. When you install Ubuntu Server, the setup process requires you to create a primary user account. This initial user is automatically added to the sudo group, granting them administrative privileges without needing to log in as the root user.

The root account is locked by default. This means there is no password set for the root user, preventing direct login via SSH or the console. This security measure forces administrators to use sudo for privileged commands, which creates an audit trail of actions taken with elevated permissions.

To verify if your user has sudo access, you can run the command sudo -v. If the user has privileges, the system will update the timestamp without asking for a password if you recently used sudo, or it will prompt for your user password. You can also check group membership by typing groups. If you see sudo in the list, your account has administrative rights.

If you need to grant sudo access to a different user, you must log in as a user who already has sudo privileges. Use the command usermod -aG sudo username to add the new user to the sudo group. Conversely, to remove access, use deluser username sudo. Always ensure at least one user retains sudo access to avoid locking yourself out of administrative tasks.