robots
Prevent automated web crawler access
SYNOPSIS
robots
DESCRIPTION
The robots command displays witty and often humorous, fortune-cookie-like messages drawn from the themes of robots, artificial intelligence, and technology. These messages are stored in a database and randomly selected each time the command is executed. It's a lighthearted way to get a dose of geeky humor or even a thought-provoking snippet about the future of technology.
robots is generally considered a novelty command, providing entertainment rather than fulfilling a core system administration or development task. It's a fun little addition to the Unix/Linux ecosystem, a sort of easter egg that provides a bit of amusement to users.
CAVEATS
The content displayed is only as good as the database file it uses. Quality and humor can vary greatly.
It is installed using the fortunes suite, so please check if this suite is installed or not.
FILES
The robots command uses a data file, typically located in /usr/share/games/fortunes/. The file's name can vary depending on the distribution and installations. It contains the text snippets which robots displays. The robot's data file usually includes both the source messages and a strfile-generated index.
HISTORY
The robots command is associated with the fortune program. The fortune program dates back to the early days of Unix, and robots is one of many 'cookie' files that fortune can draw from. Its development and usage have remained consistent: providing a humorous and often philosophical message to the user.