Linux Tips

How to disable password prompts (UAC) in Ubuntu

Photo of author

sood

This article will show you are to disable UAC (User Access Controls) aka those pesky popup dialogs where you must enter your password in Ubuntu Linux! As many of you know, this feature was implemented in Windows Vista but went horribly wrong and is the reason it has been removed in Windows 7. Linux, which is known for its hardened security, has a similar mechanism but is implemented in a much better way. But sometimes these messages can become burdensome and you just want to disable them (like the box that says “Enter your password to perform administrative tasks”). Luckily, there is a very simple solution! Note: This is not recommended unless you are the only user on the system!

To disable password prompts in Ubuntu 9.04

  1. From ther terminal window, run the command:

    sudo visudo

  2. Find the line that says:

    %admin ALL=(ALL) ALL

    and change it to:

    %admin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

  3. Save file by hitting Ctrl-X
  4. Thats it!
See also  How to add a Windows/Linux network printer in Ubuntu 9.10

7 thoughts on “How to disable password prompts (UAC) in Ubuntu”

  1. Hello. I tried emailing you at blog@heatware.net but haven’t had a reply, so I am guessing you haven’t got it.

    I am interested in writing to your blog (referring to your post on WHT). Could you please contact me on my email address ?

    Thanks
    Michael H

  2. Do *NOT* do this!

    This is a *very* wrong ‘tip’ to give people… especially because those who will do this are most likely new to Linux.

    This basically nullifies many of the security advantages of Linux and brings it down almost to a Windows level.

    If you have to, use an easy password… even a simple ‘a’. But always require a password for admin tasks. Once a system is setup, you will not be prompted for the admin password all that often. And while you are doing admin tasks using sudo, it will remember your password for a defined period of time (I think 15 mins) during which you will not be asked for the password. Also there are much safer ways to to grant admin privileges to a user – PolicyKit comes to mind.

    Do NOT do this!

  3. I am the author of this article and I also do not believe that doing this is for everyone, hence my “not recommended” sentence in the article..

    This is geared towards users that are experimenting with Linux in a VM or in a “sandbox” environment.

  4. @shane: Be more careful about what you say, “Near windows level” no longer applies for current windows systems, only XP.. Or idiots who disable UAC in Vista/Win7… Why did they even include such a stupid feature?!?

  6. Thank you for the article, I hate writing passwords all over just to keep secure, the same as driving, I love driving my car on the streets, I don’t want to drive a tank to feel secure.

    Linux should find a better way to keep me secure.

Leave a Comment