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So here's the deal. I've created /etc/motd.tail as suggested by Ubuntu documentation which should append STATIC content to /etc/motd . However as well as this work, it displays the MOTD TWICE when I log on to the server via ssh. W00t ?! Is there any way to fix this ? This does seem like a bug to me. Thanks

2 Answers 2

9

For me it was two places causing motd to be displayed twice:

  1. pam.d
  2. sshd

1

~> cd /etc/pam.d ~> grep -i motd * and then editing /etc/pam.d/sshd to hash out these two lines:

session optional pam_motd.so motd=/run/motd.dynamic session optional pam_motd.so noupdate

(May differ from version to version so confirm with grep output.)

2

My /etc/ssh/sshd_config also had #PrintMotd=yes (default is yes so it was active even if it was #'d out)


In the end I set /etc/ssh/sshd_config MOTD option to PrintMotd=no (not removed the # and set to no to replace the default) and enabled the /etc/pam.d/sshd motd lines so the /etc/ssh/sshd_config option printlastlog=yes will print the last login information after the pam.d motd is displayed.

Pam will also use the options in /etc/update-motd.d/ to customise the /etc/motd as well which sshd will not do as it will simply display what is already there.

0

Bug, no...

It sounds like you have something wrong in your ~/.bashrc file. Look and see if there are any lines which add motd.tail. Maybe look for motd*?

If that doesn't work, just append directly to MOTD. Command:

sudo -i
cat /etc/motd.tail >> /etc/motd

Then, you can (if you want), rm /etc/motd.tail.
Get out of root by exiting.

Just remember to directly edit the motd file as a workaround.

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  • 1
    Its a fresh install. So, if there is something weird with the bashrc files it certainly hasn't been updated by us :( Updating motd directly defies the point of motd.tail - isn't that going to be overridden. My understanding is that motd is DYNAMICALLY created whilst motd.file should contain just static content. Jan 15, 2014 at 11:17

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