motd and Exceed

[John Sherman_1]

We are having problems getting the motd to be displayed when login using Hummingbird Exceed. When we log on, we don't get a motd or copyright or anything. We just get a prompt.

I've checked /etc/profile and it has proper entries to display the motd. In fact, after I have logged on, I can rlogin into a machine and I get the copyright and motd.


Our Hummingbird setup uses rexec to connect to our machines and I suspect this is the culprit but am not sure. How can I use rexec to get the motd to be displayed?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
John Sherman
Astek Corporation

[Paul Sperry]

I use reflextrions X and see every thig copywrite, MOTD etc. It is using a direct XDMCP connection. Don't know if hummingbird can make that kind of connection but if it can give it a try.

[Chris Vail]

The rexec command is probably using RPC's to execute the standard dtterm program, displaying it back to your workstation. Dtterm doesn't display the motd. I suggest you log in using XDMCP and get a real desktop session.
You can get a standard terminal session with telnet, puTTY, or any of several similar programs. We use puTTY for text sessions, and CDE running over Metaframe for Unix for everything else.

Chris

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi John,

rexec does not execute /etc/profile. So, you won't get motd or copywrite printed.

Use telnet that comes with Exceed.

-Sri

[John Sherman_1]

Thank you for the replies but changing to a different start method (telnet, rlogin, XDMCP) works for me but it doesn't help the rest of our company.

Every user in our company uses rexec so I would like a may to mimic the motd operation using this start method.

Any suggestions on this. Does rexec run a specific script where I could put 'cat /etc/motd' in?


Thanks,
John

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

rexec (and remsh) do not perform a 'real' login but instead run a remote command on the remote system. It appears that someone did not check out the behavior of rexec when using a Xwindows emulator. Essentially, the rexec is directly running the dtterm window, similar to how CDE starts a dtterm window (or xterm or hpterm) by default--that is, no login shell status and therefore, no automatic scripts to run for a login profile.

You can try putting a .Xdefaults file into each user's $HOME directory. Try this:

echo '*loginShell: true' >> $HOME/.Xdefaults

What this does is to create (or append) .Xdefaults which Xwindow apps will look at for Xwindow values. So the rexec'ed dtterm should startup with a login shell status and thus run /etc/profile and .profile like a normal telnet session. This fix is recommended for all workstation users too since the default is to start terminal windows without a standard login.

[Steve Lewis]

Use rexec with the following command:

xterm -d @d -ls -j -T `hostname` -n `hostname`

The man page on xterm tells you that the -ls parameter runs a login shell - ie you just get your .profile executed.

However I tested it - created /etc/motd and made it readable by everybody. I started my Exceed session using the command above and it executed /etc/profile as well as my own profile, printing /etc/motd.
There is nothing in my own profile to look for /etc/motd so that command appears to work. Try it and report back. S.

[harry d brown jr]

John,

I not only get motd when I login using rexec with Exceed, I also have /etc/profile and my local .profile executed.

Here's my .xs file:

[Xstart]
Kerberos V5 Support=0
Destroy TGT=0
Use Encryption=0
Load Balancing Support=0
Start Method=0
Program Type=0
User Id=root
Password=
Command=/usr/bin/X11/xterm -sl 2000 -ls -sb -cr Wheat -T `hostname` -bg MidnightBlue -fg Wheat -fn 7x13 -fb 7x13B -display @d
Info Prompt=0
Description=HOSTNAMEHERE
Host=HOSTNAMEHERE
Host Type=HP
Connect Timeout=1
Close Timeout=10
Response Timeout=4
Prompt Timeout=2
Show Progress=1
Log Reply=1
UserId Prompt=login:|Username:
Password Prompt=password:
Shell Prompt=$|%|>|#|}
Optional Prompt1=
Optional Reply1=
Enable Extra Prompts=0
Extra Prompt1=
Extra Prompt2=
Extra Prompt3=
Extra Prompt4=
Extra Prompt5=
Extra Prompt6=
Extra Prompt7=
Extra Prompt8=
Extra Reply1=
Extra Reply2=
Extra Reply3=
Extra Reply4=
Extra Reply5=
Extra Reply6=
Extra Reply7=
Extra Reply8=
Startup Menu=1
Override Default Port=0
Override Port=


The "-ls" is VERY important with xterm, that's why it works for me!

live free or die
harry

[Bill Hassell]

AS mentioned, starting dtterm (xterm, hpterm, etc) with -ls is the same as setting the Xwindow resource loginShell: True. Reconfiguring all the users to specify the required option may be a problem while propagating a common .Xdefaults to every user's $HOME may be simpler.