Re: Why does emacs lack non-tramp tools to find files as sudo?

On 2026-04-08 10:26, BP25 wrote:
> Emacs is the most complete and modern editor out there. How can it lack 
> "innate" (non tramp) facilities to edit files as superuser?

You're correct. Emacs has no built-in, non-Tramp way to edit a file as 
superuser with a simple command like M-x sudo-find-file or C-c C-s 
/etc/hosts.

With Tramp:

;; This works out of the box:
C-x C-f /sudo::/etc/hosts

;; Or shorter:
C-x C-f /su::/etc/hosts

This is not "non-innate" - Tramp is part of Emacs core since long time.

I think there is no alternative to it technically. It needs privileged 
subprocess, and Tramp is doing it well.

You can make it invisible:

(defun sudo-find-file (file)
   (interactive "FOpen as root: ")
   (let ((tramp-display-syntax nil))  ; If such a variable existed
     (find-file (concat "/sudo::" file))))

-- 
Jean Louis