[ntp:questions] ntp configuration file keeps resetting to installation default
Ben Measures
saint_abroadremove at removehotmail.com
Tue Jan 20 04:50:43 UTC 2004
I'm trying to setup ntpd for my network but am having numerous problems.
For the moment, I have only one question for a single problem that has
really annoyed me for over a week now.
My /etc/ntp.conf keeps resetting to the default conf from the install,
every time I boot the computer.
The old ntp.conf gets moved to /etc/ntp.conf.sv and the default conf
takes its place. Since the default conf is not suitable (no ntp sync
servers listed) this will not do at all. I'm having to manually
# cp /etc/ntp.conf.sv /etc/ntp.conf
# /etc/init.d/ntpd start
each time I boot the computer.
Here's my system:
Gentoo Linux (1.4, latest stable updates)
vanilla-sources-2.4.24
net-misc/ntp-4.1.2
The first thing I did was search google for others who have had the same
problem with no hits. I then searched forums.gentoo.org with no luck.
So I searched for other files on my computer ending in .sv. I got three
results:
# find /etc/ -iname '*.sv'
/etc/resolv.conf.sv
/etc/yp.conf.sv
/etc/ntp.conf.sv
#
The only results google gives is for /etc/resolv.conf.sv. Amongst
others, the manpage for dhcp comes up (with it replacing resolv.conf
when the client receives its DNS options). So I read man ntpd and found
nothing on the config being replaced.
Then I read /etc/init.d/ntpd with the no result. Just in case, I removed
it from startup. Rebooted. Config file was renamed and replaced still.
Strange.
I then thought it might be filesystems corruption. So I rebooted with
the Gentoo LiveCD and fsck all the volumes. No problem.
Whilst I was there, I did however, mount the root partition to see if
the /etc/ntp.conf had been replaced. Result! It hadn't, so some progress
there. It wasn't being replaced on shutdown.
So I took the CD out and booted in single user mode. The file had been
replaced. Doh!
Continuing, I tried searching the startup/config scripts for references
to ntp.conf:
# grep -R 'ntp.conf' /etc/
/etc/init.d/ntpd: if [ ! -f /etc/ntp.conf ] ; then
/etc/init.d/ntpd: eerror "Please create /etc/ntp.conf"
/etc/init.d/ntpd: eerror "Sample conf:
/usr/share/ntp/ntp.conf"
#
Bah! I knew that already.
So for some random reason (desperation perhaps), I decided to completely
remove all traces of vanilla-sources-2.4.24 and reinstall/recompile it.
So, as usual, I booted the previous kernel (vanilla-sources-2.4.23) and
removed/reinstalled/recompiled vanilla-sources-2.4.24.
Whilst I was waiting for the compile, I had a look to see if
/etc/ntp.conf had been replaced. It hadn't. Huh? I took it as a good
omen for my quest.
So I booted with the new kernel. /etc/ntp.conf was replaced again. :(
After many reboots it seems that the conf gets replaced with
vanilla-sources-2.4.24 but not with vanilla-sources-2.4.23. This baffles
me as I thought that they used the same startup/configuration files!
This is where I have ran out of steam/ideas. So now I'm trying the
newsgroups. :) I must be missing something here. If someone could point
the obvious out or send me on a new line of research it would be of
great help. I'll post if I find anything new.
Thanks,
--
Ben M.
PS. How was my post for advice. I am trying my hardest to "Ask questions
the smart way" - http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html. Did
you like/hate the way I put it? Please let me know so I can ask better
in the future.
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