MAKEMOTD(8,C)               AIX Commands Reference                MAKEMOTD(8,C)



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makemotd



PURPOSE

Makes the system message-of-the-day on multiple sites.

SYNTAX


            +------+   +- /etc/MOTD -+
makemotd ---|      |---|             |---|
            +- -L -+   +- filename --+


DESCRIPTION

The makemotd command makes a new system message-of-the-day, possibly on
multiple sites.  The system message-of-the-day for each site (<LOCAL>/motd),
displayed when each user.logs in, is built from four parts.  These are the
system identifier, the load module date, the system-wide message-of-the-day,
and a site-specific message-of-the-day.

To change the system message-of-the-day, one changes one of these four parts
and then rebuilds <LOCAL>/motd using /etc/makemotd.  Changes made to
<LOCAL>/motd directly will be undone when /etc/makemotd is next run (an action
typically accompanying a system reboot) and should therefore be done only when
the message is to expire when the system reboots.  A typical example of a
direct modification to <LOCAL>/motd is the addition of a message announcing a
scheduled down-time.

The system identifier is obtained from the file <LOCAL>/ident.  The load module
date is obtained from the file <LOCAL>/moddate.  Each of these are included if
the particular file is available and readable.

If file name is specified, then that file is used as the text of the system
wide message-of-the-day; otherwise, the file /etc/MOTD is used.

A site-specific message-of-the-day, if present, is obtained from the file
<LOCAL>/MOTD.

The -L flag included in the command line causes only the local site's
message-of-the-day to be modified.  Otherwise, the message of the day is
updated on all sites.

The command is only available to the super user.

To summarize, there are several ways to change the system message-of-the-day.
To change the message-of-the-day displayed on all sites, a system administrator
can change the file /etc/MOTD and run /etc/makemotd.  To put a special message



Processed November 8, 1990       MAKEMOTD(8,C)                                1

MAKEMOTD(8,C)               AIX Commands Reference                MAKEMOTD(8,C)



on one site in addition to the standard system messages, add the message to
<LOCAL>/MOTD and run /etc/makemotd or /etc/makemotd -L.  To put a special
message on one site which only applies until the next system reboot, the system
administrator can simply change <LOCAL>/motd directly, and this change will be
undone when this file is recreated on the next system reboot.

Note:  If a message-of-the-day is established on a system where users may have
       selected different character code sets for the display of text in
       different languages, the message should be written using ASCII so that
       it is displayed consistently for all users.

FILES

<LOCAL>/motd   File containing the local site system message-of-the-day.
/etc/MOTD      Default text for the system wide message-of-the-day.
<LOCAL>/MOTD   Text for a site-specific message-of-the-day.
<LOCAL>ident   Local site system identification.
<LOCAL>/moddate
               Local site kernel modification date.

RELATED INFORMATION

See the following command:  "login."

RESTRICTION

The makemotd command stops reading <LOCAL>/ident and <LOCAL>/moddate at the
first newline found.



























Processed November 8, 1990       MAKEMOTD(8,C)                                2