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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteLinux does not have one universal MOTD file. After a successful login, the PAM pam_motd module may print static files, generated fragments, or both. On Ubuntu and Debian, the usual source is the update-motd framework: executable scripts in /etc/update-motd.d are run at login and their output is assembled into /run/motd.dynamic. On systems using a static configuration, edit /etc/motd instead.
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The reliable way to customize the message is therefore to identify which PAM files and login service are active, then choose a static file, a generated script, or a local motd.d override. The procedures below also explain why an edit may appear on a console but not through SSH, how to disable one vendor-supplied line, and how to avoid slowing every login or exposing sensitive information.
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The MOTD is normally displayed by the PAM session module pam_motd.so after authentication succeeds. PAM can be invoked by a local console login, an SSH session, a display manager, or another service, so the visible message depends on that service’s PAM policy.
In the documented pam_motd arrangement, the module examines message files and directories such as /etc/motd, /run/motd, /usr/lib/motd, and their corresponding motd.d directories. Entries are printed in lexicographic order. A file in /etc takes precedence over a same-named file in /run or /usr/lib, which lets administrators replace or suppress packaged content without editing vendor files.
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Each individual message is limited to 64 KB according to the current Ubuntu Manpages documentation for pam_motd. That limit applies to a message file or fragment, not to an unlimited stream of diagnostic output. Keep generated output short enough to remain useful at a login prompt.
Static, generated, and fragment-based sources
| Approach | Typical location | When it is read | Best use | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static file | /etc/motd |
When the active PAM setup reads it directly | A fixed notice such as an authorization or maintenance message | On generated Ubuntu systems it may be a symlink or may be bypassed |
| Ubuntu/Debian dynamic scripts | /etc/update-motd.d/ |
Scripts run as root at login | Hostname, kernel, update, storage, or other changing status | Slow or unreliable commands delay every login |
| MOTD fragments | /etc/motd.d/, /run/motd.d/, /usr/lib/motd.d/ |
Fragments are read in sorted order | Local additions and per-message overrides | Names and precedence determine the result |
Identify the active MOTD mechanism first
Do not overwrite a file blindly. A quick inspection shows whether your host uses a generated message and whether the relevant PAM service invokes pam_motd.
- Check the main files and directories:
ls -l /etc/motd /run/motd /usr/lib/motd 2>/dev/null
ls -ld /etc/motd.d /run/motd.d /usr/lib/motd.d /etc/update-motd.d 2>/dev/nullIf /etc/motd points to /run/motd.dynamic, the visible text is generated rather than maintained as a hand-edited file.
- Inspect the PAM policies for the login paths you care about:
grep -R --line-number 'pam_motd' /etc/pam.d/login /etc/pam.d/sshd 2>/dev/nullA line such as session optional pam_motd.so indicates that PAM will attempt to print the MOTD for that service. The exact options and included files matter, so read the surrounding lines rather than changing a single match in isolation.
- For SSH, inspect the daemon configuration as well:
sshd -T | grep -i '^printmotd'If your distribution does not permit that command as an unprivileged user, run it with the required administrative privileges. The effective setting may come from an included configuration file, not only from the top-level sshd_config.
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Set a fixed message in /etc/motd
Use a static file when the message should be identical at every login and your PAM configuration reads /etc/motd directly.
- Create or replace the file with administrative privileges. This example writes two lines and ends the file with a newline:
sudo sh -c 'cat > /etc/motd <<"EOF"
Authorized users only.
Maintenance window: Sundays 02:00 UTC.
EOF'- Log out and start a new session, or invoke the same login path again. A shell that was already open will not normally redraw the MOTD.
- If nothing changes, check whether
/etc/motdis a symlink, whether a generated file is being displayed, and whether the relevant PAM stack containspam_motd.so.
Do not treat a successful write as proof that this is the active source. Ubuntu installations commonly make /etc/motd a link to generated output; a later login can regenerate that target and replace text you typed manually. In that case, move the customization to an update-motd.d script or an appropriate motd.d fragment.
Create a dynamic MOTD on Ubuntu or Debian
Ubuntu introduced the update-motd framework, in which a collection of scripts dynamically assembles the MOTD at login. Executable files in /etc/update-motd.d run as root, and their standard output is concatenated into /run/motd.dynamic. The framework is a Debian/Ubuntu-specific patch and is not guaranteed to exist on other Linux distributions.
Add a custom fragment
Create a file with a numeric prefix, no filename extension, executable permissions, and a final newline. A prefix in the 90 range usually places local information after lower-numbered distribution scripts:
sudo tee /etc/update-motd.d/90-custom >/dev/null <<'EOF'
#!/bin/sh
echo
echo "Welcome to $(hostname)"
echo "Kernel: $(uname -r)"
EOF
sudo chmod 755 /etc/update-motd.d/90-customThe script must write the intended message to standard output. Avoid writing status text to standard error unless you deliberately want diagnostics to appear elsewhere. Keep the script deterministic and quick; it runs for every login that triggers generation.
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Preview the generated output
Where the framework is installed, run the same run-parts mode used by the update scripts:
sudo run-parts --lsbsysinit /etc/update-motd.dThis prints the combined output without requiring a new SSH connection. It also exposes filename mistakes, permission problems, and commands that fail when run as root.
Rules that determine whether a script runs
- Use a name such as
90-custom; omit extensions such as.sh. - Make the file executable. A non-executable file is skipped.
- Follow the filename rules used by
run-parts --lsbsysinit; unusual punctuation can cause a file to be ignored. - Write a newline-terminated result so the next fragment does not run into the last line.
- Use absolute paths for commands whose environment may differ from an interactive shell.
Control ordering and override packaged fragments
Dynamic scripts are run in numeric and then alphabetical order under the run-parts --lsbsysinit rules. A file named 10-system therefore appears before 90-custom. Within the fragment-based motd.d mechanism, files are likewise displayed in lexicographic order, with the /etc tree taking precedence over same-named entries in lower-precedence trees.
Use /etc/motd.d for a local fragment when your system reads that directory directly. This avoids modifying files owned by packages and makes the ownership of your message clear.
Silence one specific line
To suppress a packaged fragment without deleting it, create a same-named symbolic link in /etc/motd.d that points to /dev/null. For example:
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sudo ln -s /dev/null /etc/motd.d/50-motd-newsThe name must exactly match the lower-precedence fragment you want to mask. The /etc entry wins during precedence resolution, while the package’s original file remains available for upgrades or later restoration. Verify the actual filename first with:
find /usr/lib/motd.d /run/motd.d -maxdepth 1 -type f -printf '%fn' 2>/dev/null | sortIf the file is generated by update-motd rather than read from a motd.d directory, this symlink will not disable it; disable or adjust the corresponding numbered script instead.
Make the change appear over SSH
SSH output can be controlled by two separate layers. Debian documentation describes an sshd option named PrintMotd, while the PAM stack determines whether pam_motd.so runs for the session. A console login and an SSH login can therefore show different messages even on the same machine.
Diagnose a console/SSH mismatch
- Compare the effective SSH setting:
sshd -T | grep -i '^printmotd'- Check
/etc/pam.d/sshdfor apam_motd.sosession line and inspect any included files. - Check
/etc/pam.d/loginseparately for local virtual-console behavior. - Open a fresh SSH session after each change; existing sessions do not replay the banner.
If PrintMotd is disabled, enabling PAM alone may not produce the result you expect, and changing PrintMotd alone cannot help if the SSH PAM stack never invokes pam_motd.so. Change only the layer responsible for the path you intend to affect, then validate the daemon configuration before reloading it.
Understand distribution boundaries
The /etc/update-motd.d convention is not an upstream Linux standard. The Debian MOTD documentation describes it as a Debian- and Ubuntu-specific patch that may be absent from other GNU/Linux distributions. Other systems may use only /etc/motd, the motd.d directories, vendor login tooling, or a different PAM arrangement.
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On an unfamiliar distribution, start with the PAM files for the actual login service and list the available MOTD paths. Do not create /etc/update-motd.d and assume it will be called automatically. If no PAM rule references pam_motd.so, the login program may be displaying a banner through another mechanism, or no MOTD may be configured at all.
Keep MOTD scripts safe and fast
Protect sensitive information
MOTD text is shown to every account that can log in through the affected service. Avoid putting secrets, access tokens, private hostnames, internal IP ranges, unpatched-service details, or command output that ordinary users should not see. Treat kernel versions, package status, mounted filesystems, and uptime as operational information that may still reveal useful details to an attacker.
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Prevent login delays
Every command in an update-motd.d script runs in the login path. Network probes, package-manager queries, DNS lookups, and large disk scans can make an otherwise healthy server feel hung. The Ubuntu update-motd manual recommends caching long-running or network-dependent work rather than performing it synchronously for each login.
Prefer local, bounded commands such as hostname and uname -r. If you need a health check, have a separate timer or service refresh a small cache file and let the MOTD script read that file with a short timeout and a sensible fallback.
Handle failures quietly
Use shell checks for missing commands and unavailable files. A failed optional check should produce a short fallback or no line, not a stack trace. Test scripts as root with the same interpreter named in the shebang, because permissions, environment variables, and working directories differ from an interactive shell.
Quick Recap
Troubleshooting by symptom
Editing /etc/motd has no effect
- Check whether
/etc/motdis a symlink to/run/motd.dynamic. - Look for
/etc/update-motd.dand preview it withrun-parts --lsbsysinit. - Verify that the login service’s PAM file includes
pam_motd.so. - Confirm that you are testing a new login rather than an existing shell.
The custom Ubuntu script is ignored
- Ensure the file is executable:
sudo chmod 755 /etc/update-motd.d/90-custom. - Remove the extension and unsupported punctuation from its filename.
- Check the shebang and run it directly as root to expose syntax or command errors.
- Run
sudo run-parts --lsbsysinit /etc/update-motd.dand inspect whether its output appears.
Only one vendor line must be removed
- For a
motd.dfragment, create a same-named/etc/motd.dsymlink to/dev/null. - For an
update-motd.dscript, disable or edit that numbered script instead. - Do not delete package-managed files when a precedence override can solve the problem.
The message appears locally but not over SSH
- Check the effective
PrintMotdvalue fromsshd -T. - Inspect
/etc/pam.d/sshdindependently of/etc/pam.d/login. - Check for another SSH banner configured with the
Bannerdirective; it is a separate mechanism from the post-authentication MOTD. - Reconnect after applying a configuration change.
The login is slow after customization
- Run each custom script manually and time commands that contact the network or scan the filesystem.
- Move expensive work to a scheduled job and have the MOTD read cached results.
- Add timeouts and fallbacks so a failed service cannot block authentication feedback.
A repeatable change-and-verify procedure
- Identify the login path: local console, SSH, display manager, or another service.
- Inspect that service’s PAM configuration for
pam_motd.so. - Determine whether the source is static,
motd.d, or Ubuntu/Debianupdate-motd. - Choose a local file or fragment rather than editing package-owned content.
- Use a clear numeric name, executable mode, standard output, and a final newline for dynamic scripts.
- Preview generated output with
run-parts --lsbsysinitwhen available. - Open a fresh session through the intended service and verify ordering, visibility, and timing.
- Record any suppression symlinks or local scripts so future administrators know why a packaged line is absent.
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