MickLesk · Nov 4, 2026 · Nov 4, 2026 · Nov 4, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-split-files.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-split-files.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ on:
       - "tests/vm-dialog-esc.sh"
       - "tests/cs-clear.sh"
       - "tests/forge-appversion-scope.sh"
+      - "tests/motd-os-version.sh"
       - ".github/workflows/verify-split-files.yml"
   push:
     branches: [main]
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ on:
       - "tests/vm-dialog-esc.sh"
       - "tests/cs-clear.sh"
       - "tests/forge-appversion-scope.sh"
+      - "tests/motd-os-version.sh"
       - ".github/workflows/verify-split-files.yml"
   workflow_dispatch:
 
@@ -211,6 +213,8 @@ jobs:
         run: bash tests/silent-verbose.sh
       - name: VM dialog Esc tests
         run: bash tests/vm-dialog-esc.sh
+      - name: MOTD OS version tests
+        run: bash tests/motd-os-version.sh
       - name: GitHub release without the API tests
         run: bash tests/github-release-noapi.sh
       - name: Screen clear without a terminal tests

diff --git a/core/error_handler.func b/core/error_handler.func
@@ -685,6 +685,7 @@ on_exit() {
   if [[ $exit_code -eq 0 && "${_CS_UPDATE_CLEANUP:-}" == "1" ]] && declare -f cleanup_lxc >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     _CS_UPDATE_CLEANUP=0
     cleanup_lxc || true
+    declare -f update_motd_ip >/dev/null 2>&1 && { update_motd_ip || true; }
   fi
 
   # fetch_and_deploy_release leaves a pending marker next to the stamp; only a

diff --git a/lxc/install.func b/lxc/install.func
@@ -1503,16 +1503,8 @@ fi
 EOF
   fi
 
-  # Get OS information
-  local os_name="$OS_TYPE"
-  local os_version="$OS_VERSION"
-
-  if [[ -f /etc/os-release ]]; then
-    os_name=$(grep ^NAME /etc/os-release | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '"' || true)
-    os_version=$(grep ^VERSION_ID /etc/os-release | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '"' || true)
-    [[ -z "$os_name" ]] && os_name="$OS_TYPE"
-    [[ -z "$os_version" ]] && os_version="${OS_VERSION:-rolling}"
-  fi
+  # No & or \: update_motd_ip puts this into a sed replacement.
+  local os_line='$(if [ -r /etc/os-release ]; then . /etc/os-release; fi; echo "${NAME:-Linux} - Version: ${VERSION_ID:-rolling}")'
 
   # Create MOTD profile script. The testing block is conditional -- printed
   # unconditionally it told every Incus container it was a DevScripts build.
@@ -1544,7 +1536,7 @@ EOF
   cat >>"$PROFILE_FILE" <<EOF
 echo -e "${GATEWAY:-}${YW:-}Provided by: ${GN:-}community-scripts ORG ${YW:-}| GitHub: ${GN:-}https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE${CL:-}"
 echo ""
-echo -e "${OS:-}${YW:-}OS: ${GN:-}${os_name} - Version: ${os_version}${CL:-}"
+echo -e "${OS:-}${YW:-}OS: ${GN:-}${os_line}${CL:-}"
 echo -e "${HOSTNAME:-}${YW:-}Hostname: ${GN:-}\$(uname -n)${CL:-}"
 echo -e "${INFO:-}${YW:-}IP Address: ${GN:-}\$(ip -4 route get 1 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's/.* src \\([0-9.]\\+\\).*/\\1/p' | head -1)${CL:-}"
 EOF
@@ -1576,7 +1568,6 @@ EOF
 
 ${APPLICATION:-Container} LXC Container - TESTING BUILD
 This script is still being tested. Without feedback it cannot be finished.
- OS: ${os_name} - Version: ${os_version}
 
  Report back: ${CS_TESTING_URL}
  Works, broken, or anything odd - one line is enough.
@@ -1587,15 +1578,13 @@ EOF
 
 ${APPLICATION:-Container} LXC Container - DEV Repository
 WARNING: This is a DEVELOPMENT version (DevScripts). Do NOT use in production!
- OS: ${os_name} - Version: ${os_version}
  Repository: https://github.com/community-scripts/DevScripts
 
 EOF
   else
     cat >/etc/motd <<EOF
 
 ${APPLICATION:-Container} LXC Container
- OS: ${os_name} - Version: ${os_version}
 
 EOF
   fi

diff --git a/tests/motd-os-version.sh b/tests/motd-os-version.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -uo pipefail
+
+CORE_DIR="$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+T="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf -- "$T"' EXIT
+mkdir -p "$T/etc/profile.d" "$T/root"
+relocate() { sed "s|/etc/|$T/etc/|g; s|/root/|$T/root/|g"; }
+eval "$(awk '/^motd_ssh\(\) \{/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/lxc/install.func" | relocate)"
+eval "$(awk '/^update_motd_ip\(\) \{/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/ui/validate.func" | relocate)"
+eval "$(awk '/^on_exit\(\) \{/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/core/error_handler.func")"
+
+PROFILE="$T/etc/profile.d/00_lxc-details.sh"
+passed=0 failed=0
+
+check() {
+  if [[ "$3" == *"$2"* ]]; then
+    echo "PASS $1"
+    passed=$((passed + 1))
+  else
+    echo "FAIL $1: expected <$2> in <$3>" >&2
+    failed=$((failed + 1))
+  fi
+}
+
+os_release() { printf 'NAME="%s"\n%s' "$1" "${2:+VERSION_ID=\"$2\"$'\n'}" >"$T/etc/os-release"; }
+get_current_ip() { echo 192.0.2.10; }
+post_progress_to_api() { :; }
+_is_container_context() { return 0; }
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+TAB="" NETWORK="" YW="" GN="" CL="" OS="" HOSTNAME="" INFO="" GATEWAY="" BOLD="" RD="" OS_TYPE=debian OS_VERSION=12
+
+shells=()
+for sh in bash dash "busybox sh"; do
+  command -v "${sh%% *}" >/dev/null 2>&1 && $sh -c : 2>/dev/null && shells+=("$sh")
+done
+
+os_release "Debian GNU/Linux" 12
+APPLICATION=Test motd_ssh
+os_release "Debian GNU/Linux" 13
+for sh in "${shells[@]}"; do
+  check "$sh: login shows the upgraded release" "OS: Debian GNU/Linux - Version: 13" "$($sh -c ". '$PROFILE'" 2>&1)"
+  check "$sh: NAME stays out of the login shell" "unset" "$($sh -c ". '$PROFILE' >/dev/null 2>&1; echo \${NAME-unset}")"
+done
+
+os_release "Arch Linux"
+check "no VERSION_ID reads as rolling" "Arch Linux - Version: rolling" "$(bash -c ". '$PROFILE'")"
+rm -f "$T/etc/os-release"
+check "no os-release still prints a line" "OS: Linux - Version: rolling" "$(bash -c ". '$PROFILE'")"
+check "/etc/motd carries no version" "none" "$(grep -q 'Version' "$T/etc/motd" && echo found || echo none)"
+
+esc=$'\033'
+cat >"$PROFILE" <<EOF
+echo -e "${esc}[1mTest LXC Container${esc}[m"
+echo -e "    community-scripts"
+echo -e "    ${esc}[33m OS: ${esc}[1;92mDebian GNU/Linux - Version: 12${esc}[m"
+echo -e "    ${esc}[33m IP Address: ${esc}[1;92m\$(echo 192.0.2.10)${esc}[m"
+EOF
+printf '\nTest LXC Container\n OS: Debian GNU/Linux - Version: 12\n\n' >"$T/etc/motd"
+os_release "Debian GNU/Linux" 13
+update_motd_ip >/dev/null 2>&1
+check "update turns a fixed OS line into one read at login" "Debian GNU/Linux - Version: 13" "$(bash -c ". '$PROFILE'")"
+check "update drops the fixed OS line from /etc/motd" "none" "$(grep -q 'Version' "$T/etc/motd" && echo found || echo none)"
+cp "$PROFILE" "$T/before"
+update_motd_ip >/dev/null 2>&1
+check "a second update leaves the OS line alone" "same" "$(cmp -s "$PROFILE" "$T/before" && echo same || echo changed)"
+
+result=$(
+  cleanup_lxc() { :; }
+  update_motd_ip() { echo motd; }
+  _CS_UPDATE_CLEANUP=1
+  trap on_exit EXIT
+  exit 0
+)
+check "an update that exits inside update_script still refreshes the MOTD" "motd" "$result"
+
+printf '%s passed, %s failed (shells: %s)\n' "$passed" "$failed" "${shells[*]}"
+((failed == 0))
diff --git a/ui/menu.func b/ui/menu.func
@@ -1126,8 +1126,8 @@ check_breaking_change_guard() {
 
 # The update path, shared by the three branches of start() that reach it.
 # exit, not return: returning continues into the ct script's host-only tail.
-# Most ct scripts exit inside update_script, so the two calls after it are
-# unreachable for them; the cleanup therefore runs from on_exit.
+# Most ct scripts exit inside update_script, so the call after it is
+# unreachable for them; cleanup and MOTD therefore run from on_exit.
 _cs_run_update() {
   ensure_profile_loaded
   ensure_recorded_toolchains
@@ -1140,7 +1140,6 @@ _cs_run_update() {
   _CS_UPDATE_CLEANUP=1
   update_script
   run_addon_updates
-  update_motd_ip
   exit 0
 }
 

diff --git a/ui/validate.func b/ui/validate.func
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ update_motd_ip() {
   # always checked whose file it is; this one never did.
   if [ -f "$MOTD_FILE" ] && grep -q "LXC Container" "$MOTD_FILE" 2>/dev/null; then
     # Remove existing IP Address lines to prevent duplication
-    sed -i '/IP Address:/d' "$MOTD_FILE"
+    sed -i '/IP Address:/d; / OS: .* - Version: /d' "$MOTD_FILE"
 
     IP=$(get_current_ip)
     # Add the new IP address
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ update_motd_ip() {
     fi
 
     # Get current values
-    local current_os="$(grep ^NAME /etc/os-release | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '"') - Version: $(grep ^VERSION_ID /etc/os-release | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '"')"
+    local os_line='$(if [ -r /etc/os-release ]; then . /etc/os-release; fi; echo "${NAME:-Linux} - Version: ${VERSION_ID:-rolling}")'
     local current_hostname="$(hostname 2>/dev/null || uname -n)"
     # get_current_ip, not `hostname -I`: BusyBox's hostname has no -I, so on
     # Alpine this aborted the update with "unrecognized option: I". The helper
@@ -114,15 +114,14 @@ update_motd_ip() {
     # $GN/$CL are unset in a login shell, so a line using them never colors.
     # The staleness checks below only compare the value text, so a line with a
     # current value but a dead placeholder is never revisited; force it here.
-    local esc dead_color_os dead_color_hostname dead_color_ip
+    local esc dead_color_hostname dead_color_ip
     esc=$'\033'
-    grep -qE 'OS:.*\$\{GN\}' "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null && dead_color_os=1
     grep -qE 'Hostname:.*\$\{GN\}' "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null && dead_color_hostname=1
     grep -qE 'IP Address:.*\$\{GN\}' "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null && dead_color_ip=1
 
     # Update only if values actually changed (or the color placeholder is dead)
-    if [[ -n "${dead_color_os:-}" ]] || ! grep -q "OS:.*$current_os" "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null; then
-      sed -i "s|OS:.*|OS: ${esc}[1;92m$current_os${esc}[m\\\"|" "$profile_file"
+    if ! grep -q 'OS:.*os-release' "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null; then
+      sed -i "s|OS:.*|OS: ${esc}[1;92m${os_line}${esc}[m\\\"|" "$profile_file"
     fi
     if [[ -n "${dead_color_hostname:-}" ]] || ! grep -q "Hostname:.*$current_hostname" "$profile_file" 2>/dev/null; then
       sed -i "s|Hostname:.*|Hostname: ${esc}[1;92m$current_hostname${esc}[m\\\"|" "$profile_file"