When you run a command using sudo in Linux, the Terminal prompts you to type in your password with no visual feedback as you type. We’ll show a quick tweak that will show asterisks (*) when you type in your password in the Terminal.
NOTE: When we say to type something in this article and there are quotes around the text, DO NOT type the quotes, unless we specify otherwise.
We will open the “/etc/sudoers” file and change a setting to customize the length of the grace period. To begin, press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal window. Type the following command at the prompt and press Enter.
Type your password when prompted and press Enter. Notice that no asterisks are displayed when you enter your password.
A file opens directly in the Terminal window using the Nano text editor. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the cursor to the end of the following line:
RELATED: Change the Default Editor From Nano on Ubuntu Linux
IMPORTANT: Never edit the sudoers file with a normal text editor. Always use the visudo command as described here. If the sudoers file has improper syntax, you will be left with a system where it’s impossible to obtain elevated or root privileges. The visudo command opens a text editor like you would with normal text files, but the command also validates the syntax of the file upon saving it. This prevents configuration errors in the sudoers file from blocking sudo operations, which could be your only method of obtaining root privileges.
Traditionally, Linux uses vi as the default editor, but Ubuntu has chosen to use Nano. If you would rather use vi as the default text editor in Ubuntu, rather than Nano, see our article.
Change the line by adding “,pwfeedback” to the end of the line.
You can also press Enter after “env_reset” to make a new line and type the following on the new line:
NOTE: The space between “Defaults” and “pwfeedback” should be a tab.
Once you have made the change, press Ctrl + X and type a “y” in response to the question that displays at the bottom of the window to save your changes.
You will be asked for the File Name to Write at the bottom. Press Enter to accept the default.
You are returned to the command prompt. To close the Terminal window, type “exit” at the prompt and press Enter. You can also click the X button in the upper-left corner of the window.
The next time you open a Terminal window and run a command using sudo, you will see asterisks when entering your password at the prompt.
NOTE: You must close the Terminal window and open it for the change to take place.
