February 2, 2026
Sudo? More like “do pay”
Todd C. Miller – sudo Maintainer for over 30 years
30-year sudo hero needs a sponsor, and the internet is calling out freeloaders
TLDR: After 30 years keeping the “admin” button working, sudo’s maintainer is asking for funding. Comments exploded with anger at Big Tech and IBM for not paying, gratitude for his work, and jokes about servers melting—urging companies to step up before a core security tool goes unfunded.
After 30+ years maintaining sudo — the tiny command that lets you say “I’m in charge” on a computer — Todd C. Miller says he needs a sponsor to keep it going. The comments went full soap opera: shock that a core security pillar isn’t funded, rage at Big Tech freeloading, and gratitude for the man behind the magic. One fiery take accused tech giants of not paying for what they use, while IBM got singled out as Red Hat’s parent that “should be writing checks.” The mood? Pay the guy.
Fans confessed they’ve used sudo “millions of times” without even thinking it’s software, and now they’re spooked at the idea it could break. There were laughs too: one commenter joked the server temps are spiking as the post hits Hacker News — “not sure his server agrees.” Between memes and moral outrage, the message is clear: fund the maintainer. Miller’s side notes about OpenBSD and past work on cron only fuel the narrative that the internet runs on unsung heroes and goodwill. The crowd wants companies that rely on sudo to step up — before the world’s most trusted “yes, you can” button runs out of support
Key Points
- •Todd C. Miller has maintained the sudo project for over 30 years.
- •He is seeking a sponsor to fund ongoing maintenance and development of sudo.
- •Miller continues to work on OpenBSD, though with reduced activity compared to earlier years.
- •He has made substantial contributions to ISC cron in the past.
- •The page hosting this information is seldom updated, with useful content available via linked sections.