[ntp:questions] ntpdate removal is coming

Bruce Lilly bruce.lilly at gmail.com
Thu Dec 8 12:23:30 UTC 2011


On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:56:08 +0000, Harlan Stenn wrote:

> Bruce wrote:
>> I do run sntp to set the clock before starting ntpd (so I don't need
>> ntpdate).  Setting the clock this way at least gets the time offset in
>> the ballpark before ntpd starts.
> 
> OK, and exactly why do you need "the time offset in the ballpark before
> ntpd starts"?

In the worst case, e.g. if the machine has been out of service for a
long time, ntpd will just quit if the initial offset is large.  Short
of that, getting close to the right offset before starting ntpd means:
1) processes that depend on reasonably-close time synchronization
   (rsync, etc.) can proceed
2) ntpd converges to a stable point that much faster (i.e. it has
   less of an initial offset to remove)

I use sntp (rather than ntpd -q or ntp-wait) because it's much faster
than the alternatives (life is too short for thumb-twiddling).



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