Difference between revisions of "MOTD, issue.net and landscape-sysinfo"

Revision as of 18:07, 12 December 2024

The command: landscape-sysinfo

The file: update-motd.d/50-landscape-sysinfo

landscape-sysinfo is a utility that displays information about the computer it is run on. This information is displayed upon login for console users (ssh and terminal login supported) and can also be seen at anytime by just calling landscape-sysinfo from the command line.

The /etc/issue and /etc/issue.net files are traditional text files used in older and POSIX-compliant systems.

• /etc/issue: Displays a banner or message before login on the local console (tty).
• /etc/issue.net: Displays a banner or message before login over a network connection such as ssh.

The files /etc/issue, /etc/issue.net, and the update-motd.d system (e.g., 50-landscape-sysinfo) serve different purposes and reflect the evolution of how Linux systems display messages to users upon login or remote connection. The update-motd.d and Dynamic Message of the Day (MOTD) are part of a more dynamic system for MOTD generation

• Provides post-login messages, often displayed upon SSH login.
• These messages are dynamically generated based on scripts in /etc/update-motd.d/.

Unlike /etc/issue, the MOTD is dynamically updated and can pull real-time data (e.g., available updates, system health). landscape-sysinfo is a specific script in Ubuntu's MOTD system, part of the Canonical Landscape toolset, used to manage and monitor multiple Ubuntu systems.

See: How to change welcome message (motd) on Ubuntu 18.04 server