[ntp:questions] Attn Linux distributors - pse include PPS

Rob nomail at example.com
Tue Apr 29 08:35:18 UTC 2014


David Taylor <david-taylor at blueyonder.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
> On 26/04/2014 05:05, Harlan Stenn wrote:
>> William Unruh writes:
> []
>>> More recent ntpd combine server and client in one program.
>>> Not sure when that was.
>>
>> It's been the case for at least 20 years' time.
>>
>> This is something that may be different in the upcoming rewrite.
>>
>> H
>
> I hope not, as it would make much of the documentation out of date, and 
> destroy much of the simplicity of deployment from the user's point of 
> view.
>
> I would find it annoying to have to tell someone "Oh, but if you want to 
> pass on the time you need to uninstall what you have now and replace it 
> with the client/server version".

I think a useful separation would be between one part that is a
server and a client of network time, and another part (many other parts)
that are the interfaces to local refclocks.

That could be in the form of a main program with loadable modules
(like the Linux kernel), or by reducing the current ntpd to have zero
refclocks, and have a set of separate programs that each serve up a
refclock as an NTP source that the ntpd program just polls via 127.127.x.y
which should be a localhost.
Of course something would have to be arranged so that the stratum is
not unnecessarily increased by one.

This solution provides a lean ntpd program that is fit for most users,
and it facilitates the easy addition of refclock drivers.



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