motd-issue

name	motd_issue
description	Maintains the ansible/roles/motd_issue Ansible role that deploys /etc/motd (or /etc/motd.d on RHEL 9+) and /etc/issue.d + /etc/issue.net from role-provided templates on RHEL-family systems as part of the Linux SOE. Use when checking or standardizing login banners. Does NOT manage the sshd pre-auth banner.

motd_issue

Maintains ansible/roles/motd_issue/. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md for the shared conventions.

ansible/roles/motd_issue/README.md documents this role's full configuration surface (every defaults/main.yml variable, with its original inline comments, rendered as a single reference). Read it before proposing or explaining how to configure this role — it reflects the role's actual current defaults even if a variable summary elsewhere in this file has drifted out of sync with the role.

What the role actually does

Encoded in ansible/roles/motd_issue/defaults/main.yml — both variables are unset by default, so out of the box this role does nothing:

• issue_template (if set) → rendered to both /etc/issue.d/zz-ansible.issue and /etc/issue.net (the same template, same content, two destinations).
• motd_template (if set) → rendered to /etc/motd.d/zz-ansible.motd on RHEL 9+, or directly to /etc/motd on RHEL 8.

What to do

This role is off by default in ansible/configure_rhel.yml — every role there (active or not) is gated by a single configure_rhel_domains list variable (when: "'<name>' in configure_rhel_domains"), and motd_issue isn't in the default value of that list. Nothing needs editing in the playbook itself to turn it on: pass the full desired domain list via -e, e.g. -e '{"configure_rhel_domains": [...the default 20..., "motd_issue"]}' (see .claude/skills/configure_rhel/SKILL.md for the current default list to extend, and why it has to be the full list, not just the addition — -e replaces the variable's value, it doesn't merge into it). --tags motd_issue alone is not enough — the domains list and --tags/--skip-tags are separate, ANDed gates, both verified independently: a role only runs if it's in configure_rhel_domains and matches the requested tags. Some roles (this one — check its defaults/main.yml and task file) also have their own internal enable flag or required variable on top of that, which still needs setting the same as before. Flag all of this to the user before assuming the commands below will do anything.

Audit: ansible-playbook ansible/configure_rhel.yml --tags motd_issue --check --diff

Remediate: same command without --check, after explicit user approval.

Propose a change to the role itself (e.g. adding the org's approved banner template): never commit directly. On a branch named soe/motd_issue/<short-desc>, edit the role, validate locally (--syntax-check, ansible-lint roles/motd_issue/, --check --diff), push, and open a PR titled [motd_issue] <what changed> with the --check --diff output in the body — then stop for human review. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md's "Contribution workflow".

Notes

• This role does not touch sshd_config or the SSH pre-auth banner. If the org needs the SSH pre-auth banner (Banner directive) to match /etc/issue.net, that's a gap in the role today, not something already handled — flag it rather than assuming it's covered.
• Neither motd_template nor issue_template has role-provided alternatives shipped in files//templates/ (unlike accounts_policy or audit_setup) — the org's banner content has to be supplied entirely externally (a template path outside this role, or a new file added to the role first).
• If the approved banner text is supplied, avoid \v/\r/\m/\s escape sequences in the issue content — those leak kernel/OS version to an unauthenticated user at the pre-auth banner (this is a property of /etc/issue//etc/issue.net content itself, not something the role enforces).