HN · HACKER_NEWS// 22d agoPRODUCT UPDATE

Ubuntu 26.04 enables sudo asterisks by default

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is set to ship with sudo-rs’s pwfeedback enabled by default, so password entry at the sudo prompt will visibly echo asterisks instead of staying silent. Canonical says the change is meant to improve user feedback and reduce typing mistakes, especially for people encountering Linux’s privilege prompt for the first time.

// ANALYSIS

This is a small UX change with outsized cultural fallout: Canonical is choosing beginner-friendly feedback over the long-standing Unix convention of silent password entry.

–It makes `sudo` feel more familiar to users coming from modern desktop apps and other terminal prompts.
–The security tradeoff is mostly about leaking password length to someone already watching the screen, which Canonical argues is a minor risk in typical use.
–The bigger practical risk is tooling: scripts or tests that assume no prompt output may need to be updated.
–The revert path is straightforward, so admins can opt out if they want the old behavior.

// TAGS

ubuntusudo-rslinuxterminalsecurityuxopen-source

DISCOVERED

22d ago

2026-03-21

PUBLISHED

22d ago

2026-03-21

RELEVANCE

7/ 10

AUTHOR

akersten