I scoured the web for an easy-run RFC865 Cookie/QotD server that I could throw into my Docker host and serve a proper DHCP Option 8 on my home network, but none existed so I vibe coded one. Now, my home network can vibe out like it’s 1983.

Open source as always, I wrote a version that spits out a generic 8-ball fortune (Outlook good, My sources say no, etc.) as well as one that does a classic cowsay | fortune.

If you wanna just boot it, sudo docker run -p 17:17/tcp -p 17:17/udp jkingsman/qotd-appliance:latest will run the 8-ball version and sudo docker run -p 17:17/tcp -p 17:17/udp jkingsman/qotd-appliance:fortune-cowsay-latest will run the fortune version. Unfortunately, they need sudo to capture a privileged port (17).

Interact via nc localhost 17 for a nice TCP cookie message :D