Why use a text banner?
Terminal banners are useful for identifying a host, environment, or safety boundary before a user runs a command. They should communicate context quickly instead of filling the screen.
Target 80 columns, avoid color as the only signal, and test through the narrowest SSH client your team uses. Standard, Banner3, and Small are reliable starting points.
A safe starting pattern
printf '%s\n' ' ____ ____ ___ ____'
printf '%s\n' ' | _ \| _ \ / _ \| _ \'
printf '%s\n' ' | |_) | |_) | | | | | | |'Design for the narrow connection
Eighty columns is still a useful baseline. Long hostnames and environment names often work better in a compact font than a large display style.
Make the banner operationally useful
Follow the art with plain text that identifies the environment, owner, or support route. Never rely on the banner alone for a production warning.
Generate your version
Open the full gallery, enter the final text, set the target width, then copy the output with the wrapper that matches this workflow.