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Linux displays the Message of the Day (MOTD) through PAM after a successful login. On a traditional installation, edit /etc/motd; on Ubuntu and Debian systems using update-motd, create or modify an executable script in /etc/update-motd.d instead. If a message appears over SSH but not at the console, or vice versa, check both the SSH daemon’s PrintMotd setting and the session’s pam_motd.so configuration.
How Linux decides which MOTD to display
The text shown after login is not always read from one file. The usual display path is the PAM pam_motd session module. After authentication succeeds, PAM reads one or more message files and writes their contents to the login session. A distribution can also generate those files at login, or the SSH daemon can independently decide whether to print a message.
The documented pam_motd search locations include the static files /etc/motd, /run/motd, and /usr/lib/motd, plus the corresponding motd.d directories. Files in each directory are shown in lexicographic order. An entry in /etc takes precedence over an identically named entry in /run or /usr/lib. Each individual message is limited to 64 KB according to the current Ubuntu Noble pam_motd manual.
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- Static file: one administrator-managed message, normally
/etc/motd. - Fragments: several files in a
motd.ddirectory, combined in filename order. - Generated output: executable scripts run at login, with their standard output assembled into a runtime file such as
/run/motd.dynamic.
Before editing anything, determine which model your distribution and login path are using. Otherwise, a correct edit may be ignored or overwritten.
Identify the active MOTD mechanism
Inspect the files and links
Start by checking whether /etc/motd is a regular file or a symbolic link, and whether the dynamic-script directory exists.
ls -l /etc/motd /run/motd /usr/lib/motd 2>/dev/null
ls -ld /etc/motd.d /run/motd.d /usr/lib/motd.d 2>/dev/null
ls -ld /etc/update-motd.d 2>/dev/nullOn Ubuntu installations using update-motd, /etc/motd is typically a symlink to a generated file in /run. In that case, editing the generated target directly is temporary and editing the symlink target may not affect how the next login is assembled.
Check the PAM session rules
Look for pam_motd.so in the service that starts your session. A local console login commonly uses /etc/pam.d/login; an SSH login commonly uses /etc/pam.d/sshd.
grep -R --line-number --fixed-strings pam_motd.so /etc/pam.d/login /etc/pam.d/sshd 2>/dev/nullIf neither file contains the module, inspect the PAM include files referenced by those files. A distribution may place the actual rule in a shared session configuration. Do not add a second MOTD rule until you understand the existing include chain, or the message can be printed twice.
Separate console behavior from SSH behavior
A console and an SSH session can use different PAM services and different daemon settings. Test both paths after every change. If the text appears in one path only, the difference is usually configuration rather than file permissions.
Set a static MOTD in /etc/motd
When a static file is the right choice
Use a static file when the system reads /etc/motd directly and you want the same plain text for every login. This is the simplest approach for an access notice, a maintenance schedule, or a short operational reminder that does not need live data.
Replace the file safely
The following command writes the file as root and preserves the final newline required for clean terminal output.
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sudo sh -c 'cat > /etc/motd <<"EOF"
Authorized users only.
Maintenance window: Sundays 02:00 UTC.
EOF'Use a quoted here-document delimiter so that shell characters inside the message are written literally. Read the result before testing a new session:
sudo cat /etc/motdIf the text does not appear, do not keep rewriting the file. Check the PAM rule, the SSH daemon setting, and whether /etc/motd is a symlink to generated output. Ubuntu systems using update-motd may replace or bypass this static content.
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A MOTD is normally readable by all users but writable only by administrators. Confirm that the file is owned by root and is not writable by ordinary users:
sudo chown root:root /etc/motd
sudo chmod 644 /etc/motdDo not put secrets, private keys, access tokens, or personal data in a world-readable login message. Every account that can log in may be able to read it.
Customize Ubuntu or Debian with update-motd
How dynamic generation works
Ubuntu introduced the update-motd framework, in which executable scripts in /etc/update-motd.d run as root at each login. Their standard output is concatenated into /run/motd.dynamic. On a typical Ubuntu setup, /etc/motd points to that generated file.
This design is useful for values that change, such as the hostname, kernel release, pending updates, or system load. It also means every script contributes work to every login, so scripts should finish quickly and should not depend on an unavailable network service.
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Create a custom fragment
Create a file with a numeric prefix, no filename extension, and a shell interpreter on the first line:
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 90- prefix places this fragment after the lower-numbered vendor messages. Keep the name free of an extension such as .sh; the execution rules follow run-parts --lsbsysinit, which applies filename restrictions and orders accepted files numerically and alphabetically. The script must be executable, write its message to standard output, and end its output with a newline.
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Preview the assembled message
Where the framework is present, run the same style of directory processing manually:
sudo run-parts --lsbsysinit /etc/update-motd.dThis prints the generated text without requiring a new SSH connection. It also reveals syntax errors, missing commands, and unexpected output from a newly added script.
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A slow script delays every login. Avoid commands that make network requests, wait for a remote host, or scan a large filesystem. If a value is expensive to calculate, generate it on a timer and have the MOTD script read a cached local result. Handle command failures deliberately so that a missing service does not produce a shell error in every user’s session.
Remember that these scripts execute with root privileges. Use absolute paths for commands when practical, validate any data they read, and never echo credentials or unredacted service configuration.
Use motd.d fragments and suppress one message
Understand fragment precedence
Fragment directories are useful when several packages or administrators own different portions of the login text. Files are displayed in lexicographic order. A same-named file in /etc/motd.d overrides the corresponding file in /run/motd.d or /usr/lib/motd.d, allowing local policy to take precedence over packaged content.
List the directories in order to see what is contributing:
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sudo find /etc/motd.d /run/motd.d /usr/lib/motd.d -maxdepth 1 -type f -o -type l 2>/dev/null | sortBecause shell expression precedence can make that diagnostic broader than intended, use separate find commands if you need a precise inventory for a complex system.
Add a local static fragment
Create a numbered file in /etc/motd.d when your PAM implementation reads that directory:
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sudo install -d -m 755 /etc/motd.d
sudo tee /etc/motd.d/90-local >/dev/null <<'EOF'
Local administration notice.
EOF
sudo chown root:root /etc/motd.d/90-local
sudo chmod 644 /etc/motd.d/90-localThe exact set of directories read is distribution-dependent, so confirm it in the local pam_motd documentation and PAM configuration.
Silence one packaged fragment
To disable a lower-precedence fragment without deleting a package-owned file, create a same-named symbolic link in /etc/motd.d that points to /dev/null. For example:
sudo ln -s /dev/null /etc/motd.d/50-motd-newsThe local entry wins because /etc has higher precedence. Use the exact packaged filename, including its numeric prefix. If a package later changes the filename, the old override will no longer suppress the new fragment, so periodically review the directory after package updates.
Control MOTD output over SSH
Two settings can affect SSH output
Debian documents an sshd option named PrintMotd. Separately, PAM controls whether pam_motd.so runs for the SSH session. Either layer can prevent a message from appearing, and enabling both can produce duplicate or differently ordered output depending on the distribution’s configuration.
Inspect the effective SSH configuration rather than relying only on comments in the file:
sudo sshd -T | grep -i printmotd
grep -n --fixed-strings pam_motd.so /etc/pam.d/sshd 2>/dev/nullIf you change sshd_config, validate the syntax before reloading the service:
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Diagnose a console/SSH mismatch
- Message appears on the console but not through SSH: check
/etc/pam.d/sshd, the effectivePrintMotdvalue, and any SSH-specific conditional rules. - Message appears through SSH but not on the console: inspect
/etc/pam.d/loginand the console login program’s PAM includes. - Message appears twice: look for more than one
pam_motd.soline or a combination of daemon-level printing and PAM printing. - Only generated content is missing: run the update scripts manually and check that each intended fragment is executable and has an accepted filename.
Static versus generated MOTD: choose deliberately
| Approach | Ownership | Survives package changes | Login cost | Ordering and precedence | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
/etc/motd static file |
One local text file | Usually stable, unless a distribution regenerates or replaces it | Minimal; no script execution | No internal fragment ordering | Any session whose PAM stack reads the file |
motd.d fragments |
Multiple local and vendor files | Local /etc entries override same-named lower-precedence entries |
Reading several files | Lexicographic order; directory precedence applies | Any session using the corresponding pam_motd paths |
update-motd.d scripts |
Executable scripts assembled at login | Local scripts normally remain separate from packaged scripts, but generated output is rebuilt | Every script runs at each login | run-parts --lsbsysinit filename rules and numeric/alphabetical order |
Ubuntu/Debian configurations that enable the framework |
The dynamic framework is not a universal Linux standard. Debian’s documentation describes it as a Debian- and Ubuntu-specific patch that may not exist in other GNU/Linux distributions and is not part of upstream PAM. On another distribution, expect a static /etc/motd, motd.d fragments, vendor login tooling, or a different PAM arrangement. Inspect the local files before copying Ubuntu instructions.
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Security, privacy, and operational guidelines
Show only information users should see
A MOTD is visible to every successful login, including accounts that should not receive internal infrastructure details. Avoid exposing private IP addresses, cloud metadata, mount paths containing usernames, software versions that reveal unpatched systems, or the output of commands that may contain credentials.
Use least-privilege file permissions
Keep administrator-owned scripts and fragments writable only by root. A writable MOTD script is a root-execution path on the next login. Review ownership and mode after creating a file:
sudo find /etc/update-motd.d /etc/motd.d -maxdepth 1 -type f -printf '%M %u:%g %pn' 2>/dev/nullDo not treat a MOTD as an access-control banner
A message can communicate authorization policy, but it does not enforce it. Use SSH authentication, PAM access controls, firewall rules, and auditing for enforcement. If legal wording is required, have the system owner approve the exact text and make sure it is displayed on every relevant login path.
Troubleshoot changes that do not appear
The file was edited, but nothing changed
- Check whether
/etc/motdis a symlink and identify its target. - Confirm that the relevant PAM service contains, directly or through an include,
pam_motd.so. - For SSH, inspect the effective
PrintMotdsetting withsshd -T. - Open a new login session; an existing shell does not replay the MOTD.
- Read the file or run the generator manually to verify that the expected text exists before PAM displays it.
A dynamic script is skipped
- Make sure the file is executable:
sudo chmod 755 /etc/update-motd.d/90-custom. - Remove an extension such as
.shif it violates the localrun-partsfilename rules. - Check that the first line names an installed interpreter, for example
#!/bin/sh. - Run
sudo run-parts --lsbsysinit /etc/update-motd.dand correct syntax or command errors. - Ensure the script writes to standard output rather than a file that PAM never reads.
The output is duplicated or malformed
Search all active PAM includes for multiple MOTD modules, then check whether the SSH daemon is also printing a file. Ensure each fragment ends with a newline and that scripts do not emit debugging text, shell warnings, or control sequences unintentionally. A message that exceeds the documented 64 KB limit should be split into smaller, purposeful fragments rather than expanded indefinitely.
The message is stale
If a generated value does not update, determine whether the script is actually run at login and whether it reads a cached file. If the cache is maintained by a timer or another job, troubleshoot that producer separately. Do not add a network lookup to the login path merely to obtain fresher data; the resulting delay or outage can affect every login.
A practical rollout checklist
- Decide whether the message is static, a fragment, or generated.
- Inspect
/etc/motd, themotd.ddirectories, and/etc/update-motd.d. - Inspect PAM rules for both
loginandsshdwhen both access paths matter. - For SSH, record the effective
PrintMotdvalue before changing it. - Use a numbered, extension-free executable for an Ubuntu/Debian dynamic fragment.
- Preview generated output locally before opening a new session.
- Review permissions and remove sensitive data from the text and scripts.
- Test a fresh console login and a fresh SSH login, keeping an existing administrative session available.
- Document any local override in
/etc/motd.dso a future package update does not make its purpose mysterious.
Recommended patterns for common needs
One unchanging policy notice
Use a root-owned /etc/motd file if your PAM configuration reads it directly. Keep it short, plain text, and free of operational details that become obsolete quickly.
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A hostname and kernel line on Ubuntu
Use an executable fragment such as /etc/update-motd.d/90-custom with hostname and uname -r. This keeps the message current without editing a generated file by hand.
Disable one vendor announcement
Find the exact filename in the lower-precedence motd.d directory and create a same-named /etc/motd.d symlink to /dev/null. This leaves package files intact while making the local preference explicit.
Show different information on console and SSH
Use separate PAM service configurations only when the distinction is necessary and documented. Verify both paths after changes; a file edit alone cannot override a PAM stack that never invokes the MOTD module.
Bottom line
Find the component that actually produces your login text before editing it. Use /etc/motd for a genuinely static message, /etc/motd.d for ordered local overrides and fragments, and executable /etc/update-motd.d scripts on Ubuntu or Debian when the content must be generated. Then verify the PAM service and SSH daemon settings separately, because MOTD behavior can differ between console and SSH sessions.
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