Bash.org MOTD Script

July 16, 2025 · View on GitHub

This is a quick hack I put together with Claude + Cursor. If you're familiar with IRC, you know what bash.org was - this is my homage to that legendary site.

Fair warning: this is peak 2000s "sysadmin bro" humor, so if that's not your vibe, you might want to skip this one. Consider it internet archaeology - a digital time capsule of times past.

Disclaimer: All quote content is from the original bash.org archives - please don't get mad at me. For the uninitiated: bash.org was the internet's repository of IRC chat logs, capturing the absurd, crude, and very occasionally brilliant conversations that defined early internet culture.

Features

  • 🎲 10,700+ quotes from the legendary bash.org archives
  • 🎨 Beautiful terminal formatting with progress bars and colors
  • 🔄 Smart distribution - cycles through all quotes before repeating
  • ⚡ Lightning fast - cached locally with timing display
  • 🎯 Random but fair - shuffles after each complete cycle
  • 🛠️ Easy setup - one command installation

Quick Start

git clone <this-repo>
cd bashorg-motd
./setup.sh

That's it! Open a new terminal and you'll see a quote. Use wut anytime for the next quote.

Commands

🎯 Main Commands

  • wut - Show next quote (works from anywhere after setup)
  • ./motd.sh - Show next quote (local)
  • ./motd.sh update - Download fresh quotes from bash.org archives

🛠️ Setup Commands

  • ./setup.sh - Install everything (detects your shell automatically)
  • ./setup.sh uninstall - Remove from your shell startup
  • ./setup.sh status - Check current configuration
  • ./setup.sh test - Preview a quote without installing

📊 What You'll See

╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│  Quote of the Day - bash.org IRC Quotes                                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  #100798 +(1439)- [X]                                                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  <mike> HEH, THIs Is AMuSINg                                                   │
│  <mike> I Got a WiNAMP pLUgiN THAt BLInKS THE KEYboARD ledS tO THE MUSIc       │
│  <mike> BUT IT acTUALLY turNs THe CAPsLOcK On AND oFF iNSTEad OF JuST the      │
│  LIGHt                                                                         │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
Total quotes: 10700 | Use 'wut' for next quote
Displayed in 234ms

🎭 More Classic Examples

The Savage Comeback:

#16291 +(199)- [X]
<Zimbu> i was just using common sense, sorry
<Gimik\HMWRK> Zimbu: try to use something you have next time ;)

The Apartment Hunters:

#102752 +(47)- [X]
<mufffin> i could live there
<mufffin> except its an apartment
<Schlurbna> That's not to say I wouldn't live there but I expect more from penthouse apartments.
<hoek_> Schlurbna - you expect penthouse models in there?

How It Works

First run: Downloads 10,700+ quote filenames from GitLab (with a sweet progress bar!)
Smart cycling: Goes through all quotes sequentially, then shuffles for the next round
Lightning cache: Quotes stored in ~/.cache/bashorg-quotes/ for instant access
Bulletproof: Even if you Ctrl+C during download, partial quotes are shuffled and ready

Manual Setup (If You're Into That)

Add this to your shell config (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, etc.):

# Bash.org MOTD Quote
if [ -f "/path/to/motd.sh" ]; then
    "/path/to/motd.sh"
fi
export PATH="/path/to/bashorg-motd:$PATH"  # For global 'wut' command

Requirements

  • curl (for downloading quotes)
  • bash (for running the script)
  • Internet connection (first run only)
  • A sense of humor circa 2003

Credits

Quotes sourced from: https://gitlab.com/dwrodri/bash_irc_quotes/
Original bash.org: RIP to a real one 🫡