It's not even wanting it to be different: it's wanting complete control of the processes. I am positive that the more complicated motd is vulnerable in some way the basic motd is not.

Not really. `pam` is where you look.

Your kind of proving the point though. WTF does 'pam' have to do with the motd?

Thats a complexity that doesn't make any sense.

Welcome to "modern" Linux where PAM is everything.

PAM is why systemd has its own SU replacement, because their Logind PAM module was mangling environment variables when SU was used.

Except it's not even that "simple", which was the whole point of the article