Message of the day

{{Short description|Message shown to computer users on login}}

File:OpenBSD 5.3 Welcome.png 5.3]]

Many computer systems display a message of the day or welcome message when a user first connects to them, logs in to them, or starts them. It is a way of sending a common message to all users, and may include information about system changes, system availability, and so on. More recently, systems have displayed personalized messages of the day.

On many time-sharing systems, the contents of the message of the day are fetched from a system file:

• Compatible Time-Sharing System;{{cite tech report |title=A New Version of FAP |number=80 |institution=CTSS Bulletin |date=April 23, 1965 |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/ctss/Bulletin_80_Apr65.pdf }}
• Multics: the motd info segment;{{Cite web |title=Multics Glossary -M- |url=http://multicians.org/mgm.html}}A.K. Bhushan, "Scenarios for using ARPANET computers", Request for Comments 254, Network Working Group, IETF https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc254.txt
• TOPS-10
• Incompatible Timesharing System (ITS)
• Unix-like systems: the /etc/motd file
• Univac VS/9"The Univac 60/90 Mainframe Computer" https://studylib.net/doc/8373525/the-univac-90---60-mainframe-computer, p. 5
• CP/CMS"CP-67 Operator's Guide", Program Number 360D-05.2.005, Control Program-67/Cambridge Monitor System, October 1970, p. 4 http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/360/cp67/GH20-0856-0_CP-67_Operators_Guide_Oct1970.pdf