- Functionality
- /usr/sh/su:
- Switches you completely to another user account.
- You inherit the new user’s environment, including their shell (sh in this case) and permissions.
- Requires the password of the target user.
- sudo:
- Elevates privileges for a specific command only.
- Executes the command in your current shell environment with root permissions.
- Requires your own password (unless configured differently).
- Security:
- /usr/sh/su:
- Highly insecure: Grants full access to the target user’s account, including files, programs, and configurations.
- Can be easily misused for malicious purposes if the password is compromised.
- Not recommended for everyday tasks.
- sudo:
- More secure: Limits privilege escalation to the specific command you execute.
- Reduces the potential damage if misused.
- Provides finer-grained control through configuration files like /etc/sudoers.
- Preferred for granting temporary administrative privileges.