This PERL-Tk based program can show the message of the day plus some news
. The main usage is for systems on which you login in graphically (such as Windows, OS/2 or XWindows [XDM]).
newsfeature: You can declare one directory as news directory and all file names turn into news items. If you click on them, their contents will be displayed in a new window (with modification date and user name of the creator).
Disadvantages: On older computers it takes some time until the program is loaded, we have some very old computers where it takes almost ten seconds! On new computers it happens almost instantly. If you have old computers you should start the program from a script like that:
#!/bin/sh if [ /usr/local/etc/motd -nt ${HOME}/.xmotd -o /usr/local/etc/motd.unix -nt ${HOME}/.xmotd] then /usr/local/bin/xmotd -center -news -quiet fi
xmotd --help shows:
XMOTD Version 0.9.1 2001-12-12 --help Show this command line help --version Show the version string --title=xmotd The used title --nox No X, run as console --quiet Show items only if they are new --stdin Place text from stdin between motd and news --no-motd Don't show the "Message of the Day" --news Show news (may be used with --quiet) --news-directory=path Path used for --news --news-touch=file The news time stamp file --news-no-quiet Only look at news-touch, not at touchfile --no-touch Don't update the timestamp --touchfile=file Filename for the timestamp --before=string Show this string as first line --before-file=string Show this file after the --before --after=string Show this string after the last line --after-file=string Append this file after --after --center Center window (WM placement)
None ;-) all are features to teach you perl.
Well if you find some of the numberous bugs, please drop a mail or better send a patch