motd-verse

Display the Bible Gateway "Verse of the Day" in your Linux MOTD, with systemd integration and translation support.

Features

• Fetches the verse of the day from Bible Gateway (default: NIV)
• Configurable translation (e.g., NIV, ESV, NLT, etc.) via environment variable or /etc/default/motd-verse
• Caches the verse to avoid repeated downloads
• Robust error handling and fallback to last cached verse
• Systemd service and timer for scheduled updates
• Simple install/uninstall scripts
• Easy configuration via /etc/default/motd-verse

Installation

Run as root:

./install.sh

This installs the script, systemd unit files, creates /etc/default/motd-verse if needed, and enables the timer.

Uninstallation

Run as root:

./uninstall.sh

You will be prompted to remove the cache and config files.

Configuration

Configure motd-verse by editing /etc/default/motd-verse:

• TRANSLATION — Bible translation code (if unset or empty, Bible Gateway's default is used: NIV)
• CACHE — Cache file location (default: /var/cache/motd-verse)
• URL — Override the Bible Gateway API URL (advanced)
• TIMEOUT — Timeout in seconds for API requests (default: 2)

Example /etc/default/motd-verse:

# Bible translation code (e.g., NIV, ESV, NLT)
#TRANSLATION=

# Cache file location
CACHE=/var/cache/motd-verse

# Override the Bible Gateway API URL (advanced)
#URL=https://www.biblegateway.com/votd/get/?format=json

# Timeout in seconds for API requests
TIMEOUT=2

Supported Translations

Set TRANSLATION to any valid Bible Gateway version code, such as:

• NIV — New International Version (Bible Gateway default if TRANSLATION is unset)
• ESV — English Standard Version
• KJV — King James Version
• NASB — New American Standard Bible
• NLT — New Living Translation

See Bible Gateway versions for a full list.

How It Works

• The script fetches the verse of the day from Bible Gateway and caches it.
• The systemd timer runs the update hourly and at startup.
• The script is called by the MOTD system to display the verse at login.

Troubleshooting

• If the verse is not updating, check the timer status:

  systemctl status motd-verse.timer
  

• To force a refresh:

  /etc/update-motd.d/50-motd-verse --force
  

• After changing configuration, restart the timer:

  systemctl restart motd-verse.timer
  

License

MIT License. Not affiliated with Bible Gateway.