To use sudo, simply prefix a command and its arguments with sudo and a space:

To begin using sudo as a non-privileged user, it must be properly configured. Sudo can also be used to run commands as other users additionally, sudo logs all commands and failed access attempts for security auditing. By enabling root privileges only when needed, sudo usage reduces the likelihood that a typo or a bug in an invoked command will ruin the system. Unlike su, which launches a root shell that allows all further commands root access, sudo instead grants temporary privilege elevation to a single command. Sudo is an alternative to su for running commands as root.

Sudo allows a system administrator to delegate authority to give certain users-or groups of users-the ability to run commands as root or another user while providing an audit trail of the commands and their arguments.