How can I `alias sudo !!`?

history-expansion bash sudo alias command-history

41,993

Solution 1

!! is expanded by bash when you type it. It's not expanded by alias substitution.

You can use the history built-in to do the expansion:

alias sbb='sudo $(history -p !!)'

If the command is more than a simple command (e.g. it contains redirections or pipes), you need to invoke a shell under sudo:

alias sbb='sudo "$BASH" -c "$(history -p !!)"'

Solution 2

Try:

alias sbb='sudo $(fc -ln -1)'

I like actually prefer to name it 'please':

alias please='sudo $(fc -ln -1)'

Info: fc is a in-built command in the bash shell. that lists, edits and reexecutes commands previously entered to an interactive shell.

Zsh has the similar issue with !! and aliases, and fc -ln -1 also works there. Though caveats about getting redirections and other shell syntax inside the sudo'ed command line apply, so you may want to wrap the command within a shell invocation or eval, see @rici's answer.

Solution 3

Now there's a repository for this purpose in GitHub, it magically checks whether it needs superuser rights, also fixes the typos:

https://github.com/nvbn/thefuck

41,993

Manishearth

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Manishearth almost 2 years
I'm trying to set an alias for sudo !! in Bash. I tried alias sbb='sudo !!', but it interprets that as a literal !! and prints
```
sudo: !!: command not found
```
If I use double quotes, it substitutes the double bang in the string itself, so that doesn't work.

Is there any way to make this work? Or an alternative alias? `
- Admin about 10 years
  
  See also Execute a line of commands with one sudo
- Admin over 9 years
  
  Possible same on SU: superuser.com/questions/240180/…
text almost 11 years

Got one for tcsh?
rici almost 11 years

@mdpc: I don't use tcsh, but I glanced at man tcsh and discovered that it does do history expansion during alias expansion "as though the original command were the previous input line." Interesting. However, alias sbb 'sudo \!-2 did not work as expected (it actually substituted the second previous entry); alias sbb 'sudo \!\!' did work as expected (substituted sbb for !!); and in the end it turned out that what I wanted was alias sbb 'sudo \!-1' which I would have expected to be the same as \!\!. (tcsh 6.17.06 (Astron) 2011-04-15) YMMV. Good luck.
text almost 11 years

Thanks! This alias is great when as administrator you forget to put sudo in front of your command.
Anto over 9 years

please is definitely the way to go !
Michael Durrant over 8 years

works for bash too so removed the 'for zsh' comment.
muru over 8 years

Previous answers already cover history -p and fc. Anything new here?
muru over 8 years

Ok, What of it?
Scott - Слава Україні over 8 years

I find the -ln -n -n to be intensely confusing; also the bit about ' or '' (and also the bit about -<n>).
rubo77 about 8 years

I tried apt-get install thefuck which exists, but it doesn't work on my Ubuntu 15.10 ;(
rubo77 almost 8 years

instead of sbb I would prefer prease as alias as suggested by @jpschorr
Frax over 5 years

Works well in zsh. fc is the command to use. Thanks
Przemek D almost 5 years

please makes it feel like the terminal is an entity that I have to be nice to in order to get stuff done. I prefer something that gives a better sense of control - like fuck ;)
lucidbrot about 3 years

pls, because please but also I'm salty
Deoxal almost 3 years

Is this functionally equivalent to Giles 2nd version? I'm not sure if they'll both work or if there might be slight differences.
alper over 2 years

usage: sudo -h | -K | -k | -V