Get parent user after sudo with Python

Question

I would like to get the parent user after a sudo command in Python For example, from the shell I can do:

# Shows root; *undesired* output
$ sudo whoami
root

# Shows parent user sjcipher, desired output
$ sudo who am i
sjcipher

How do I do this in Python without using an external program?

that is different, please check the difference of whoami and who am i — James Sapam, Jul 01 '14 at 18:52
im confused about what you want exactly ... I dont want to see you just copy and paste some output from a command you dont want to use... I would like to see you explain what information you would like to display — Joran Beasley, Jul 01 '14 at 18:54
@JoranBeasley It's just an equivalent of `who -m`: "If ARG1 ARG2 given, -m presumed: 'am i' or 'mom likes' are usual." — dano, Jul 01 '14 at 18:54
@JoranBeasley i am trying to figure out the username before switch user, like if a user run a script with sudo, but i want to logged his original username. — James Sapam, Jul 01 '14 at 18:55
`os.getlogin()` will work if there's a controlling terminal. — dano, Jul 01 '14 at 19:00
@sjcipher: It's not, really. But you original question was phrased in such a way that it very much *looked* like a duplicate. Only in your comments to some proposed answers did it become clear that it wasn't... Anyhow, I rephrased your question, and nominated it to be re-openend. — Martin Tournoij, Jul 01 '14 at 21:22

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered May 05 '15 at 17:15

8

SUDO_USER environmental variable should be available in most cases:

import os

if os.environ.has_key('SUDO_USER'):
    print os.environ['SUDO_USER']
else:
    print os.environ['USER']

answered May 05 '15 at 17:15

bcicen

81
1
1

Martin Tournoij · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-02T07:01:32.577

who am i gets it's information from utmp(5); with Python you can access with information with pyutmp;

Here's an example, adapted from the pyutmp homepage:

#!/usr/bin/env python2

from pyutmp import UtmpFile
import time, os

mytty = os.ttyname(os.open("/dev/stdin", os.O_RDONLY))

for utmp in UtmpFile():
    if utmp.ut_user_process and utmp.ut_line == mytty:
        print '%s logged in at %s on tty %s' % (utmp.ut_user, time.ctime(utmp.ut_time), utmp.ut_line)


$ ./test.py
martin logged in at Tue Jul  1 21:38:35 2014 on tty /dev/pts/5

$ sudo ./test.py
martin logged in at Tue Jul  1 21:38:35 2014 on tty /dev/pts/5

Drawbacks: this is a C module (ie. it requires compiling), and only works with Python 2 (not 3).

Perhaps a better alternative is using of the environment variables that sudo offers? For example:

[~]% sudo env | grep 1001
SUDO_UID=1001
SUDO_GID=1001

[~]% sudo env | grep martin
SUDO_USER=martin

So using something like os.environ['SUDO_USER'] may be better, depending on what you're exactly trying to do.

ah this is the easiest os.environ['SUDO_USER'], thats perfectly make sense. — James Sapam, Jul 02 '14 at 06:16

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 01 '14 at 18:58

0

Depending on the setup you could use the environment variables that have been set. Note, that this may not work in all cases but may in yours. Should return the original user before su.

import os
print os.environ["USER"]

answered Jul 01 '14 at 18:58

Bob

684
4
4

this will give the current user not the one before switch user. – James Sapam Jul 01 '14 at 18:59
Worked fine for me after switch user. What OS are you targeting if I may ask? – Bob Jul 01 '14 at 19:00
i am running on RHEL 6.3 – James Sapam Jul 01 '14 at 19:01
Odd, I tested it on RHEL 5.5 and it worked. Oh well, seems like you found an answer with the os module anyway. – Bob Jul 01 '14 at 19:02
if i do `sudo python` and go to interactive shell and did it gave me 'root' but i am expecting to see the original user who run sudo. btw thank you i learnt something. – James Sapam Jul 01 '14 at 19:03
That's why. I was su'ing to root and then running python. Explains things. – Bob Jul 01 '14 at 19:15

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 03 '17 at 04:52

0

Here's a one-liner that will do it.

user = os.environ['SUDO_USER'] if 'SUDO_USER' in os.environ else os.environ['USER']

answered Mar 03 '17 at 04:52

Clay Risser

3,272
1
25
28

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 09 '17 at 22:55

Either os.getlogin() or os.getenv('SUDO_USER') look like good choices.

[vagrant@localhost ~]$ sudo python3.6
Python 3.6.3 (default, Oct 11 2017, 18:17:37)
[GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-16)] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import os
>>> os.getlogin()
'vagrant'
>>> os.getenv('SUDO_USER')
'vagrant'
>>> os.getenv('USER')
'root'
>>> import getpass
>>> getpass.getuser()
'root'

score -1 · Answer 6 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

-1

as referenced before, you can use getpass module

>>> import getpass
>>> getpass.getuser()
'kostya'

edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

Community

1
1

answered Jul 01 '14 at 18:53

Mirat Can Bayrak

631
7
18

1

this doest give the original user before sudo or switch user. i am trying to figure out the first user. – James Sapam Jul 01 '14 at 18:54
i think you have to make a **bold** note about this. everyone giving answers like me :) – Mirat Can Bayrak Jul 01 '14 at 19:22

Get parent user after sudo with Python

6 Answers6