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<!doctype linuxdoc system>
<article>
<title>Fortune Mini-HOWTO (english)</title>
<author>Walter Harms </author>
<date>Version 0.01, 19.05.2004</date>
<abstract>
How to use use fortune to generate cookies.
</abstract>
<toc>
<sect>Introduction
<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.
Here comes ''fortune'' to the rescue. The package comes with 3 programs:
fortune,strfile and unstr.
<sect>Usage of fortune, strfile and unstr
<p>
The programs have clear distinguished jobs: presentation, assembly and
disassembly of the fortune databases.
<sect1>Fortune
<p>
fortune is the presenter program. A simple application is to call the
program in the crontab and modify the /etc/motd. e.g.:
<code>
*/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
</code>
You can also specify more than one database file. Then fortune will consider
both files equally often.
<code>
> fortune myquotes startrek
</code>
Some people like some quotes more than others. So your can manipulate the
equilibrium by adding probabilities.
<code>
> fortune 90% myquotes 10% startrek
</code>
fortune has some additional command line switches but its beyond the
scope of this document to explain them. check the man page instead.
<sect1>generating a fortune database
<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.:
<code>
quote 1
%
quote 2
%
quote 3
%
quote 5
</code>
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 .
<code>
> strfile myquotes
</code>
The <myquotes>.dat will by copied into the directory where the datafiles are stored.
This is usually <tt>/usr/share/fortune</tt>. Check the installation with:
<code>
>fortune myquotes
</code>
<sect1> unstr
<p>
This is what the man-page says:
<code>
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.
</code>
<sect> other files to have fun with
<p>
An other possible target is <tt>.signature</tt>.
Any selfrespecting mailprogram will add that to an outgoing mail.
<sect> remarks
<p>
The patchnames mentioned here are based on the actual fortune package.
Distribution may change the place to somewhere.
<p>
Beside fortune there are several other programs that select random
quotes from a database.
<p>
Be carefull when choosing quotes. There are people who take them serious like:
<code>
====### 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!"
</code>
</article>
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