Choose from several methods to create a security message for users to review before authentication, after authentication, or both. The /etc/issue file displays before authentication, while the /etc/motd file displays after authentication.
For more information, click the System → Help menu from the desktop to bring up the GNOME Help Browser. You can also use the yelp command. Desktop login scripts are discussed in the GDM Login Scripts and Session Files section of the gdm(1M) man page.
Before You Begin
To create a file, you must assume the root role. To modify an existing file, you must become an administrator who is assigned the solaris.admin.edit/path-to-existing-file authorization.
The options that create a dialog box before authentication use the security message in the /etc/issue file from Step 1 of How to Place a Security Message in Banner Files.
The /etc/gdm directory contains three initialization scripts that display the security message before authentication and after authentication.
# pfedit /etc/gdm/Init/Default /usr/bin/zenity --text-info --width=800 --height=300 \ --title="Security Message" --filename=/etc/issue
For information about editing system files as a non-root user, see the pfedit(1M) man page.
The login window expands to fit your message. This method does not point to the /etc/issue file. You must type the text into the GUI.
# cd /usr/share/gdm
# cp gdm-greeter-login-window.ui /etc/gdm/gdm-greeter-login-window.ui.orig
The glade-3 program opens the GTK+ interface designer. You type the security message into a label that displays above the user entry field.
# /usr/bin/glade-3 /usr/share/gdm/gdm-greeter-login-window.ui
To review the guide for the interface designer, click Development in the GNOME Help Browser. The glade-3(1) man page is listed under Applications in the Manual Pages.
# cp gdm-greeter-login-window.ui /etc/gdm/gdm-greeter-login-window.ui.site
The file that creates a dialog box after authentication use the security message in the /etc/motd file from Step 2 of How to Place a Security Message in Banner Files.
# pfedit /etc/gdm/PreSession/Default /usr/bin/zenity --text-info --width=800 --height=300 \ --title="Security Message" --filename=/etc/motd
# pfedit /usr/share/gdm/autostart/LoginWindow/banner.desktop [Desktop Entry] Type=Application Name=Banner Dialog Exec=/usr/bin/zenity --text-info --width=800 --height=300 \ --title="Security Message" \ --filename=/etc/motd OnlyShowIn=GNOME; X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=Application
To reach the workspace after being authenticated in the login window, the user must close the security message window. For the options to the zenity command, see the zenity(1) man page.
In this example, the administrator types a short message as an argument to the zenity command in the desktop file. The administrator also uses the –-warning option, which displays a warning icon with the message.
# pfedit /usr/share/gdm/autostart/LoginWindow/bannershort.desktop [Desktop Entry] Type=Application Name=Banner Dialog Exec=/usr/bin/zenity --warning --width=800 --height=150 --title="Security Message" \ --text="This system serves authorized users only. Activity is monitored and reported." OnlyShowIn=GNOME; X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=Application