Todd C. Miller, a dedicated maintainer of the essential open-source utility sudo for more than three decades, faces the challenge of securing financial support for its continued development. With Quest Software terminating its sponsorship as of February 2024, Miller finds himself in a precarious situation, reflecting a larger issue within the open-source community where critical infrastructure relies heavily on the efforts of individual maintainers.
Despite these challenges, Miller has steadfastly released updates and security patches, demonstrating his commitment to the project’s longevity and stability. In addition to his work on sudo, Todd Miller has been a significant contributor to OpenBSD and has previously left a mark with his contributions to ISC cron.
Amidst these developments, the emergence of sudo-rs, a reimplementation of the original tool in the memory-safe language Rust, has been gaining attention. This version promises enhanced security attributes, and its adoption by Ubuntu 25.10 as the default in October 2025 marks a significant milestone in its trajectory. This shift not only showcases the evolving landscape of software maintenance but also underscores the urgent need for sustainable support systems for key open-source projects and their maintainers like Todd C. Miller.

Collections

Todd C. Miller, sudo's maintainer for over 30 years, lost Quest Software's sponsorship in February 2024, highlighting funding challenges for critical open-source infrastructure. Despite financial uncertainty, Miller continues releasing updates and security patches. Meanwhile, sudo-rs, a Rust reimplementation offering enhanced memory safety, is gaining traction with Ubuntu 25.10 adopting it as default in October 2025, signaling a shift in the tool's evolution and the broader need for sustainable open-source funding models.

Challenges and Transition in Maintaining Sudo: A Call for Support