message of the day
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/OpenBSD_5.3_Welcome.png/220px-OpenBSD_5.3_Welcome.png)
The /etc/motd is a file on Unix-like systems that contains a "message of the day", used to send a common message to all users in a more efficient manner than sending them all an e-mail message. Other systems might also have an motd feature, such as the motd info segment on MULTICS.[1]
Usage
The contents of the file /etc/motd are displayed by the Unix login command after a successful login, and just before it executes the login shell.[2]
Newer Unix-like systems may generate the message dynamically when the host boots or a user logs in.[3]
The MOTD has also become a common feature of the online component of Windows PC games, such as Half-Life, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Battlefield. A similar feature called MOTD is displayed when logging on to some IRC servers.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Multics Glossary -M-".
- ^ The complete FreeBSD: documentation from the source, By Greg Lehey, p.572
- ^ Project, Ubuntu Documentation (May 2011). Ubuntu 11.04 Server Guide. ISBN 9781596822603.
- ^ "Internet Relay Chat: Client Protocol".