How Do I Delete My MOTD Message
Hi
Everytime I log into my VPS via SSH,
I see this long message:
Using username
Welcome to Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.15.0-50-generic x86_64)
Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
System information as of Fri Feb 7 21:44:47 IST 2020
System load: 0.01 Processes: 95
Usage of /: 12.5% of 24.06GB Users logged in: 0
Memory usage: 15% IP address for eth0:
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17 packages can be updated.
17 updates are security updates.
Last login:
I would really like to delete it, or at least most of it,
and maybe selectively leave some small important part
(e.g. the "17 packages can be updated." line)
How do I do it?
Thank you
6 Replies
mjones
Linode Staff
There's two ways to go about it. You can either edit /etc/motd with your text editor of choice, or use the Ubuntu-provided UpdateMotd script.
If you just want to make it a simple message or leave it blank, I'd say editing the file directly is the easier way to do it.
Thank you very much mjones
If I am in ~, and then cd ../etc/,
there is no motd file there..
I am on Ubuntu 18.04.4,
maybe it is located somewhere else?
This is about the most needlessly-complicated subject in every (recent) Linux I've ever encountered. Ubuntu makes it even more complicated because they don't want you to disable the advertising they push at you. See here:
https://ownyourbits.com/2017/04/05/customize-your-motd-login-message-in-debian-and-ubuntu/
-- sw
Ubuntu makes it even more complicated because they don't want you to disable the advertising they push at you.
You're right.
Thank you for the link,
it seems to have more updated info,
yet even that did not help..
The article is from 2017, and it seems Ubuntu changed it again.
I will try to ask in an Ubuntu forum, for instructions for my Ubuntu version..
Thank you
Maybe this will be more useful:
https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-change-welcome-message-motd-on-ubuntu-18-04-server
I switched from Ubuntu to Debian precisely because of crap like this (not that Debian makes it any easier but at least they don't push advertising at you).
-- sw