Package: manpages Version: 2.62-1 Priority: wishlist Tags: patch The information surrounding the use of /etc/motd in Debian can be, IMHO improved in the manpages documentation. Even though motd(5) has a "MORE INFO" pointer to motd.tail(5) which explains the issue there is no reference as to why the pointer is there, also, motd.tail(5) fails to describe how users can workaround this new behaviour introduced in 2.86.ds1-7.
For people coming from Unix background this /etc/motd behaviour can be completely unpredictable, so it's best to have it thoroughly documented as it has been only recently introduced in a stable release (in Etch). Attached is a patch that tries to improve the documentation on the manpages for this purpose. Regards Javier
--- man5/motd.5.orig 2007-08-10 23:20:19.000000000 +0200 +++ man5/motd.5 2007-08-10 23:23:59.000000000 +0200 @@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ The abbreviation "motd" stands for "message of the day", and this file has been traditionally used for exactly that (it requires much less disk space than mail to all users). + +In Debian this file is a symbolic link that points to \fI/var/run\fP. +Contents of this file are regenerated each time the system boots +based on the contents of \fI/etc/motd.tail\fP. .SH FILES /etc/motd .SH "SEE ALSO" --- man5/motd.tail.5.orig 2007-08-10 23:17:45.000000000 +0200 +++ man5/motd.tail.5 2007-08-10 23:33:06.000000000 +0200 @@ -32,15 +32,27 @@ The initiation script \fI/etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh\fP prepends a line containing information about the system to \fI/etc/motd.tail\fP and stores the resulting file in \fI/var/run/motd\fP. \fI/etc/motd\fP is a -symbolic link to \fI/var/run/motd\fP (the system can not assume /etc -to be writable). +symbolic link to \fI/var/run/motd\fP. This is done to prevent +changes to /etc as the system can not assume /etc to be writable. + +Notice that if a system administrator edits \fI/etc/motd\fP he is +effectively modifying a file under \fI/var/run\fP which will be wiped +and regenerated on reboot. + +If you wish to disable updating of the motd, or want to maintain your own +content for the message of the day, just point the \fI/etc/motd\fP symlink to a +different file such as \fI/etc/motd.static\fP and make your changes there. + +In older versions of Debian changes to motd could be prevented through the +use of the EDITMOTD value in the \fI/etc/default/rcS\fP configuration file. +This configuration option is no longer supported. .SH FILES .TP .I /etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh The initiation script which builds /var/run/motd .TP .I /etc/motd -Symbolic link to the system message of the day +Symbolic link to the system message of the day at /var/run/motd .TP .I /etc/motd.tail Template for building the system message of the day
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