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diff --git a/content/fortunes/fortune-cookies-HOWTO.html b/content/fortunes/fortune-cookies-HOWTO.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d74a89e --- /dev/null +++ b/content/fortunes/fortune-cookies-HOWTO.html @@ -0,0 +1,143 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="LinuxDoc-Tools 0.9.21"> + <TITLE>Fortune Mini-HOWTO (english)</TITLE> +</HEAD> +<BODY> +<H1>Fortune Mini-HOWTO (english)</H1> + +<H2>Walter Harms </H2>Version 0.01, 19.05.2004 +<HR> +<EM>How to use use fortune to generate cookies. </EM> +<HR> +<H2><A NAME="s1">1. Introduction</A></H2> + +<P>When a user logs into a system normally the /etc/motd is displayed. ( You can +disable this by creating the file ~/.hushlogin.) You will be greeted +by something like ''welcome to 127.0.0.1''. That is boring.</P> +<P>Here comes ''fortune'' to the rescue. The package comes with 3 programs: +fortune,strfile and unstr. </P> + +<H2><A NAME="s2">2. Usage of fortune, strfile and unstr</A></H2> + +<P>The programs have clear distinguished jobs: presentation, assembly and +disassembly of the fortune databases. </P> + +<H2><A NAME="ss2.1">2.1 Fortune</A> +</H2> + +<P>fortune is the presenter program. A simple application is to call the +program in the crontab and modify the /etc/motd. e.g.: +<HR> +<PRE> + */10 * * * * /usr/bin/fortune >/etc/motd + +To select a given database with quotes simply add the database as argument. + + */10 * * * * /usr/bin/fortune myquotes >/etc/motd +</PRE> +<HR> + +You can also specify more than one database file. Then fortune will consider +both files equally often. +<HR> +<PRE> + +> fortune myquotes startrek +</PRE> +<HR> + +Some people like some quotes more than others. So your can manipulate the +equilibrium by adding probabilities. +<HR> +<PRE> + +> fortune 90% myquotes 10% startrek +</PRE> +<HR> + +fortune has some additional command line switches but its beyond the +scope of this document to explain them. check the man page instead.</P> + +<H2><A NAME="ss2.2">2.2 generating a fortune database</A> +</H2> + +<P>Now we come to terms. Pick a list of quotes. There are several sources. +Of cause the Internet will provide you with a long list. Choose quotes +you like they will appear regularly now. Collect the quotes in one file. +Every quote separated with a line containing a single % e.g.: +<HR> +<PRE> +quote 1 +% +quote 2 +% +quote 3 +% +quote 5 +</PRE> +<HR> + +This is not a very effective way. Therefor is the strfile program.It will +process the ASCII-file and add a binary helper. The <myquotes> will +accompanied by <myquotes>.dat . +<HR> +<PRE> + +> strfile myquotes +</PRE> +<HR> + +The <myquotes>.dat will by copied into the directory where the datafiles are stored. +This is usually <CODE>/usr/share/fortune</CODE>. Check the installation with: +<HR> +<PRE> +>fortune myquotes +</PRE> +<HR> +</P> + +<H2><A NAME="ss2.3">2.3 unstr</A> +</H2> + +<P>This is what the man-page says: +<HR> +<PRE> +The purpose of unstr is to undo the work of strfile. It prints out the +strings contained in the file source_file in the order that they are +listed in the header file source_file.dat to standard output. It is +possible to create sorted versions of input files by using -o when strfile +is run and then using unstr to dump them out in the table order. +</PRE> +<HR> +</P> + +<H2><A NAME="s3">3. other files to have fun with</A></H2> + +<P>An other possible target is <CODE>.signature</CODE>. +Any selfrespecting mailprogram will add that to an outgoing mail.</P> + +<H2><A NAME="s4">4. remarks</A></H2> + +<P>The patchnames mentioned here are based on the actual fortune package. +Distribution may change the place to somewhere.</P> +<P>Beside fortune there are several other programs that select random +quotes from a database. </P> +<P>Be carefull when choosing quotes. There are people who take them serious like: +<HR> +<PRE> +====### legal notice ###====------------------------------------------- +Microsoft Network is prohibited from redistributing this work in any form, in +whole or in part. License to distribute this post is available to Microsoft +for $499. Posting without permission constitutes an agreement to these terms. +walter@linux:~/bericht/fortune> fortune myquotes +"You have the right to remain silent, but I wouldn't encourage you to do + so. Anything you say will be taken down, altered to my satisfaction and + used in a court of law to send you down for a good many years!" +</PRE> +<HR> +</P> + +</BODY> +</HTML> |