whoami

Display currently logged username

$ whoami

$ sudo whoami

whoami

The whoami command displays the effective user ID (UID) associated with the current login session. It essentially tells you which user the current process is running as. This is useful for verifying your identity after using commands like su or sudo, or within scripts to ensure actions are performed under the intended user context. It is a simple but crucial tool for security auditing and user management in Linux environments.
The output is typically the username associated with that UID, not the numerical UID itself. It provides a human-readable identifier of the active user within the terminal session.

The whoami command only reflects the effective user ID. It might not accurately represent the real user ID in all circumstances, particularly when special capabilities or setuid bits are in play. It's a quick check, but not a definitive security audit tool.

Typing whoami in the terminal will simply print the username of the current user logged in.

The whoami command has been a staple in Unix and Linux systems for many years. Its simplicity and utility in identifying the current user have made it a fundamental part of shell scripting and system administration workflows since the early days of these operating systems.

id(1), logname(1), who(1)