Improving /etc/motd and ANSI

[Eric van Gyzen]

On 09/08/2014 10:03, Warren Block wrote:
> On Mon, 8 Sep 2014, Eric van Gyzen wrote:
>
>> On 09/08/2014 01:32, John-Mark Gurney wrote:
>>> Also, we should reference a url for questions or problems, and not
>>> include questions@ in the motd... The url can better include
>>> information, and other places to find help, like for forums.
>>
>> Warren:  Thank you for your effort to maintain this.
>>
>> As another possibility, how about putting just the following in
>> /etc/motd:
>>
>> ====
>>
>>    Welcome to FreeBSD!  For help getting started, please visit:
>>
>>        http://freebsd.org/welcome
>>
>>    Edit /etc/motd to change this login announcement.
>>
>> ====
>>
>> That URL would contain the information currently in /etc/motd.  We could
>> easily maintain it to match the real world.  Always up-to-date
>> information, extreme flexibility for presentation, small motd, zero risk
>> of terminal incompatibility, no confusing quotes.
>
> It was pointed out to me not that long ago that we have no web browser
> in the base install.  Having a URL-only introduction would make it
> more difficult for some users to read that introduction.

So, there are users who install FreeBSD as the _only_ operating system
on the _only_ web-capable device in their vicinity, yet need the
assistance provided by this introduction?  Please help me understand
this kind of user, as my imagination fails me.

Eric