Message of the day

(Redirected from Motd (Unix))

Many computer systems display a message of the day or welcome message when a user first connects to them, logs in to them, or starts them. It is a way of sending a common message to all users, and may include information about system changes, system availability, and so on. More recently, systems have displayed personalized messages of the day.

Default motd showing on OpenBSD 5.3

On many time-sharing systems, the contents of the message of the day are fetched from a system file:

Usage

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The contents of the special file are displayed after the user logs in successfully, typically before the login shell is started.[6]

Newer Unix-like systems may generate the message dynamically when the host boots or a user logs in.[7]

Various server-based PC games display messages of the day, including Half-Life, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Battlefield. They may be personalized, encouraging users to try new features or make in-game purchases.[8]

Some IRC servers also display a message of the day on login.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ A New Version of FAP (PDF) (Technical report). CTSS Bulletin. April 23, 1965. 80.
  2. ^ "Multics Glossary -M-".
  3. ^ a b c A.K. Bhushan, "Scenarios for using ARPANET computers", Request for Comments 254, Network Working Group, IETF https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc254.txt
  4. ^ "The Univac 60/90 Mainframe Computer" https://studylib.net/doc/8373525/the-univac-90---60-mainframe-computer, p. 5
  5. ^ "CP-67 Operator's Guide", Program Number 360D-05.2.005, Control Program-67/Cambridge Monitor System, October 1970, p. 4 http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/360/cp67/GH20-0856-0_CP-67_Operators_Guide_Oct1970.pdf
  6. ^ The complete FreeBSD: documentation from the source, By Greg Lehey, p.572
  7. ^ Project, Ubuntu Documentation (May 2011). Ubuntu 11.04 Server Guide. ISBN 9781596822603.
  8. ^ "How to build a dynamic message of the day with AWS Lambda | AWS for Games Blog". aws.amazon.com. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  9. ^ "Internet Relay Chat: Client Protocol".