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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><title>6.21. pam_motd - display the motd file</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets Vsnapshot"><link rel="home" href="Linux-PAM_SAG.html" title="The Linux-PAM System Administrators' Guide"><link rel="up" href="sag-module-reference.html" title="Chapter 6. A reference guide for available modules"><link rel="prev" href="sag-pam_mkhomedir.html" title="6.20. pam_mkhomedir - create users home directory"><link rel="next" href="sag-pam_namespace.html" title="6.22. pam_namespace - setup a private namespace"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">6.21. pam_motd - display the motd file</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sag-pam_mkhomedir.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 6. A reference guide for available modules</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sag-pam_namespace.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sag-pam_motd"></a>6.21. pam_motd - display the motd file</h2></div></div></div><div class="cmdsynopsis"><p><code class="command">pam_motd.so</code>  [
        motd=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/filename</code></em>
      ] [
        motd_dir=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/dirname.d</code></em>
      ]</p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-description"></a>6.21.1. DESCRIPTION</h3></div></div></div><p>
      pam_motd is a PAM module that can be used to display
      arbitrary motd (message of the day) files after a successful
      login. By default, pam_motd shows files in the
      following locations:
    </p><p>
      </p><table border="0" summary="Simple list" class="simplelist"><tr><td><code class="filename">/etc/motd</code></td></tr><tr><td><code class="filename">/run/motd</code></td></tr><tr><td><code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd</code></td></tr><tr><td><code class="filename">/etc/motd.d/</code></td></tr><tr><td><code class="filename">/run/motd.d/</code></td></tr><tr><td><code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd.d/</code></td></tr></table><p>
    </p><p>
      Each message size is limited to 64KB.
    </p><p>
      If <code class="filename">/etc/motd</code> does not exist,
      then <code class="filename">/run/motd</code> is shown. If
      <code class="filename">/run/motd</code> does not exist, then
      <code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd</code> is shown.
    </p><p>
      Similar overriding behavior applies to the directories.
      Files in <code class="filename">/etc/motd.d/</code> override files
      with the same name in <code class="filename">/run/motd.d/</code> and
      <code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd.d/</code>. Files in <code class="filename">/run/motd.d/</code>
      override files with the same name in <code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd.d/</code>.
    </p><p>
      Files in the directories listed above are displayed in lexicographic
      order by name. Moreover, the files are filtered by reading them with the
      credentials of the target user authenticating on the system.
    </p><p>
      To silence a message,
      a symbolic link with target <code class="filename">/dev/null</code>
      may be placed in <code class="filename">/etc/motd.d</code> with
      the same filename as the message to be silenced. Example:
      Creating a symbolic link as follows silences <code class="filename">/usr/lib/motd.d/my_motd</code>.
    </p><p>
      <span class="command"><strong>ln -s /dev/null /etc/motd.d/my_motd</strong></span>
    </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-options"></a>6.21.2. OPTIONS</h3></div></div></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">
          <code class="option">motd=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/filename</code></em></code>
        </span></dt><dd><p>
            The <code class="filename">/path/filename</code> file is displayed
            as message of the day. Multiple paths to try can be
            specified as a colon-separated list. By default this option
            is set to <code class="filename">/etc/motd:/run/motd:/usr/lib/motd</code>.
          </p></dd><dt><span class="term">
          <code class="option">motd_dir=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/dirname.d</code></em></code>
        </span></dt><dd><p>
            The <code class="filename">/path/dirname.d</code> directory is scanned
            and each file contained inside of it is displayed. Multiple
            directories to scan can be specified as a colon-separated list.
            By default this option is set to <code class="filename">/etc/motd.d:/run/motd.d:/usr/lib/motd.d</code>.
          </p></dd></dl></div><p>
      When no options are given, the default behavior applies for both
      options. Specifying either option (or both) will disable the
      default behavior for both options.
    </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-types"></a>6.21.3. MODULE TYPES PROVIDED</h3></div></div></div><p>
      Only the <code class="option">session</code> module type is provided.
    </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-return_values"></a>6.21.4. RETURN VALUES</h3></div></div></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">PAM_IGNORE</span></dt><dd><p>
            This is the only return value of this module.
          </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-examples"></a>6.21.5. EXAMPLES</h3></div></div></div><p>
      The suggested usage for <code class="filename">/etc/pam.d/login</code> is:
      </p><pre class="programlisting">
session  optional  pam_motd.so
      </pre><p>
    </p><p>
      To use a <code class="filename">motd</code> file from a different location:
      </p><pre class="programlisting">
session  optional  pam_motd.so motd=/elsewhere/motd
      </pre><p>
    </p><p>
      To use a <code class="filename">motd</code> file from elsewhere, along with a
      corresponding <code class="filename">.d</code> directory:
      </p><pre class="programlisting">
session  optional  pam_motd.so motd=/elsewhere/motd motd_dir=/elsewhere/motd.d
      </pre><p>
    </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_motd-author"></a>6.21.6. AUTHOR</h3></div></div></div><p>
        pam_motd was written by Ben Collins <bcollins@debian.org>.
      </p><p>
        The <code class="option">motd_dir=</code> option was added by
        Allison Karlitskaya <allison.karlitskaya@redhat.com>.
      </p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sag-pam_mkhomedir.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="sag-module-reference.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sag-pam_namespace.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">6.20. pam_mkhomedir - create users home directory </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="Linux-PAM_SAG.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> 6.22. pam_namespace - setup a private namespace</td></tr></table></div></body></html>