How to: Allow Any User To Shutdown a Linux Server

You need to use the sudo command to grant a permission to other users to shutdown your server. The sudo command allows a permitted user to execute a command as the superuser or another user, as specified in the /etc/sudoers file. Login as a root user and type the visudo command to edit the sudoers file.

Use Configuration

In this example, allow user rocky to shutdown computer (first login as a root user):
$ su -
# visudo

Append the following configuration to a file:
rocky server.example.com=/sbin/halt /sbin/reboot
Save file and close the file. Now, rocky user can halt server by typing the following command:
$ sudo /sbin/halt
Output:

Password:

Please note that at password prompt rocky need to type his own password.

Another option is add users to /etc/shutdown.allow access control file. shutdown command can see if an authorized user is logged in on one of the virtual consoles. If shutdown command is called with the -a argument , it checks to see if the file /etc/shutdown.allow is present. It then compares the login names in that file with the list of people that are logged in on a virtual console only if one of those authorized users or root is logged in, it will proceed. Otherwise, it will write the message

shutdown: no authorized users logged in

First login as a root user:
# echo rocky >> /etc/shutdown.allow
Alternatively, use a text editor such as vi to add a username to etc/shutdown.allow file (max 32 names are allowed at a time):
# vi /etc/shutdown.allow
Finally, rocky can login and type the following command:
rocky@server1 $ /sbin/shutdown -a -h 0

See also:

• Linux Shutdown Command and Logfile