Custom MOTD for Debian

Step #1 – Prep

$ sudo apt-get install curl
$ sudo apt-get install lm-sensors
$ sudo apt-get install net-tools
$ sudo sensors-detect --auto

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Step #2 – Remove the default MOTD:

sudo rm /etc/motd

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Step #3 – Edit new motd file:

username=$(whoami) && sudo nano "/home/$username/.bash_profile"

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Step #4 – Copy/paste script code:

#!/bin/bash
# deepmotd v1.3 - 17.12.2025
# Debian/Ubuntu x86 only
# deepmotd v1.1 - 01.12.2023
# deepmotd v1.2 - 17.12.2025

clear

# -------------------------
# Uptime
# -------------------------
upSeconds=$(cut -d. -f1 /proc/uptime)
secs=$((upSeconds % 60))
mins=$((upSeconds / 60 % 60))
hours=$((upSeconds / 3600 % 24))
days=$((upSeconds / 86400))
UPTIME=$(printf "%d days, %02dh %02dm %02ds" "$days" "$hours" "$mins" "$secs")

# -------------------------
# CPU Temperature via lm-sensors
# -------------------------
temp="N/A"
if command -v sensors &>/dev/null; then
    temp=$(sensors | awk '/^Core 0:/ {print int($3)}' | tr -d '+°C')
    [ -z "$temp" ] && temp=$(sensors | awk '/Package id 0:/ {print int($4)}')
fi

# Set color
if [ "$temp" != "N/A" ]; then
    if [ $temp -lt 60 ]; then
        color=$(tput setaf 2)  # Green
    elif [ $temp -lt 70 ]; then
        color=$(tput setaf 3)  # Yellow
    else
        color=$(tput setaf 1)  # Red
    fi
    temp_display="$color$temp C"
else
    temp_display="N/A"
fi

# -------------------------
# Username
# -------------------------
username=$(whoami)

# -------------------------
# Firewall (UFW)
# -------------------------
if sudo ufw status &>/dev/null; then
    ufwports=$(sudo ufw status | grep -oE "[0-9]+/[a-z]+" | sed 's|/[a-z]\+||' | sort -n | uniq | tr '\n' ' ')
    [ -z "$ufwports" ] && ufwports="N/A"
else
    ufwports="Disabled"
fi

# -------------------------
# User accounts
# -------------------------
passwdusers=$(awk -F: '$3 >= 1000 && $3 < 65534 {printf "%s ", $1}' /etc/passwd)

# -------------------------
# Public IP
# -------------------------
public_ipv4=$(curl -s4 http://icanhazip.com/)
public_ipv6=$(curl -s6 http://icanhazip.com/)
[ -z "$public_ipv6" ] && public_ipv6="N/A"

# -------------------------
# Load averages
# -------------------------
read one five fifteen rest < /proc/loadavg

# -------------------------
# Memory usage
# -------------------------
memory_used=$(free -m | awk '/Mem/ {printf "%.2f", $3/1024}')
memory_total=$(awk '/MemTotal/ {printf "%.2f", $2/1024/1024}' /proc/meminfo)

# -------------------------
# Storage
# -------------------------
storage=$(df -h -x tmpfs -x vfat -x devtmpfs | awk 'NR==2 {print $5 " (" $3 " of " $2 ") used on " $1 }')

# -------------------------
# Network interface detection
# -------------------------
IFACE=$(ip -o link show | awk -F': ' '$2 !~ /^(lo|vir|wl|docker)/ {print $2; exit}')
[ -z "$IFACE" ] && IFACE="N/A"

# -------------------------
# MAC Address
# -------------------------
if [ "$IFACE" != "N/A" ]; then
    MAC=$(cat /sys/class/net/$IFACE/address | tr 'a-f' 'A-F')
else
    MAC="N/A"
fi

# -------------------------
# IPv4 LAN
# -------------------------
if [ "$IFACE" != "N/A" ]; then
    IPV4=$(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')
else
    IPV4="N/A"
fi

# -------------------------
# IPv6 LAN
# -------------------------
if [ "$IFACE" != "N/A" ]; then
    IPV6=$(ip -6 addr show dev $IFACE scope global | awk '/inet6/ {split($2,a,"/"); print a[1]; exit}')
    [ -z "$IPV6" ] && IPV6="N/A"
else
    IPV6="N/A"
fi

# -------------------------
# OS and Kernel
# -------------------------
OS=$(grep 'PRETTY_NAME' /etc/os-release | cut -d '"' -f 2)
KERNEL=$(uname -srm)
PROC=$(ps ax | wc -l | tr -d " ")

# -------------------------
# Display
# -------------------------
clear

cat <<EOF
$(tput setaf 3)$(date +"%A, %e %B %Y, %T")$(tput sgr0)

$(tput sgr0)  OS.................: $OS
$(tput sgr0)  Kernel.............: $KERNEL
$(tput sgr0)  Uptime.............: $UPTIME
$(tput sgr0)  Running Processes..: $PROC
$(tput sgr0)  Load Averages......: $one (1min), $five (5mins), $fifteen (15mins)
$(tput sgr0)  CPU Temperature....: $temp_display
$(tput sgr0)  Memory.............: ${memory_used} GB (used) of ${memory_total} GB (total)
$(tput sgr0)  Storage............: $storage
$(tput sgr0)  IPv4 LAN...........: $IPV4
$(tput sgr0)  IPv4 WAN...........: $public_ipv4
$(tput sgr0)  IPv6 LAN...........: $IPV6
$(tput sgr0)  IPv6 WAN...........: $public_ipv6
$(tput sgr0)  MAC Address........: $MAC
$(tput sgr0)  Firewall (UFW).....: $ufwports
$(tput sgr0)  User Accounts......: $passwdusers
$(tput sgr0)
EOF

Now save using CTRL+O, and exit nano text editor with CTRL+X

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Step #5 – Restart SSHD service:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

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Update to new version:

If you have created motd file already and need to clear the file for updated code then use this command:

username=$(whoami) && sudo truncate -s 0 /home/$username/.bash_profile && sudo nano "/home/$username/.bash_profile"

Steps:

• Login SSH
• Run Command:
  username=$(whoami) && sudo truncate -s 0 /home/$username/.bash_profile && sudo nano “/home/$username/.bash_profile”
• Copy and past updated code above
• CTRL+ O (save) og CTRL+X (exit)

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https://dev.to/bearlike/raspberry-pi-awesome-custom-motd-bpd