PAM_MOTD(8)

NAME
pam_motd - Display the motd file

SYNOPSIS

pam_motd.so [motd=/path/filename]

DESCRIPTION

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 the /etc/motd file and all files from /etc/motd.d are shown. The message size is limited to 64KB.

To silence a message, a symbolic link with target /dev/null may be placed in /etc/motd.d with the same filename as the message to be silenced. Example:

ln -sfn /dev/null /etc/motd.d/my_motd

OPTIONS

motd=/path/filename
    The /path/filename file is displayed as message of the day.

motd_dir=/path/dirname.d
    The /path/dirname.d directory is scanned and each file contained inside of it is displayed.

When no options are given, the default is to display both /etc/motd and the contents of /etc/motd.d. Specifying either option (or both) will disable this default behavior.

MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

Only the session module type is provided.

RETURN VALUES

PAM_IGNORE
    This is the only return value of this module.

EXAMPLES

The suggested usage for /etc/pam.d/login is:

    session  optional  pam_motd.so

To use a motd file from a different location:

    session  optional  pam_motd.so motd=/elsewhere/motd

To use a motd file from elsewhere, along with a corresponding .d directory:

    session  optional  pam_motd.so motd=/elsewhere/motd motd_dir=/elsewhere/motd.d

SEE ALSO

motd(5), pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(8)

AUTHOR

pam_motd was written by Ben Collins <bcollins@debian.org>.

The motd_dir= option was added by Allison Karlitskaya <allison.karlitskaya@redhat.com>.