1. When to use it
Handy when you want to distinguish environments, expose maintenance windows, or display a minimal legal banner.
motd | issue | issue.net | banner | login
2. Base setup
printf 'Slackware admin host\nMaintenance window only\n' > /etc/motd
printf 'Authorized access only\n' > /etc/issue
printf 'Authorized access only\n' > /etc/issue.net
Adjust host names, IPs, interfaces, paths, and versions to the real system before making the change persistent.
3. Quick verification
sed -n '1,5p' /etc/motd
sed -n '1,5p' /etc/issue
sed -n '1,5p' /etc/issue.net
Confirm that the output matches the expected state before considering the intervention complete.
4. Operational notes
Avoid exposing versions, internal IPs, or other attacker-friendly details in the login banner.
Quick checklist
[ ] Steps completed\n[ ] Config updated\n[ ] Tests executed\n[ ] Rollback ready\n[ ] Logs checked