[pkg-ntp-maintainers] Bug#483148: Bug#483148: ntp didn't correct time until /etc/default/ntp was modified with NTPSERVERS

[Bob Lounsbury]

On Sun, Jun 1, 2008 at 12:43 PM, Bob Lounsbury <boblounsbury at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 1, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Peter Eisentraut <peter_e at gmx.net> wrote:
>> Bob Lounsbury wrote:
>>> I installed ntp and ntpdate and then right-clicked on the gnome
>>> clock to adjust the date and time. I set the clock to synchronize with
>>> internet servers and picked 3 different servers. However, these actions
>>> did not correct the time. The three servers were listed in /etc/ntp.conf
>>> but as I stated did not correct the time. It wasn't until I added
>>> ntpservers to /etc/default/ntp that the time was updated correctly. So
>>> there seems to be some discrepancy as to what /etc file is actually
>>> controlling (or should be controlling) the clock. I didn't expect to
>>> have to edit config files to make the clock
>>> set to the correct time. I presumed that editing the time and date
>>> settings would fix the time but it didn't.
>>
>> I think there is some confusion on your end about ntp and ntpdate and what
>> each of them do.  For example, the NTPSERVERS setting (I assume that is what
>> you meant, please be accurate) is only used by the ntpdate package, not by
>> ntp.  Try uninstalling one of these packages so you can be sure what you are
>> doing.  Also not that ntp does not necessarily "correct the time"
>> immediately.
>>
>
> At first yes, I had only installed the ntp package, which after
> right-clicking on the gnome clock and setting it to synchronize with
> three different servers the time was not corrected. This was over a
> two-three day period with several restarts.
>
> Then I saw the ntpdate package and installed it, which also did not
> correct the time. So, then I started digging around in config files
> and googling for answers. I then added the following to
> /etc/default/ntp:
>
> # List of NTP servers to use  (Separate multiple servers with spaces.)
> NTPSERVERS="0.debian.pool.ntp.org 1.debian.pool.ntp.org
> 2.debian.pool.ntp.org 3.debian.pool.ntp.org"
>
> Immediately the clock corrected itself and over the past week has
> maintained the correct time.
>
> My point here is that installing ntp and setting the gnome clock to
> synchronize with 3 time servers did not work. Why? So, as I initially
> stated, there is some problem with /etc/default/ntp & /etc/ntp.conf.
> Adding the NTPSERVERS setting to /etc/default/ntp has corrected the
> issue. Why? I don't know, I'm just a newbie end user. I haven't even
> needed to use ntp in Gentoo, Arch, or Fedora. Simply setting the clock
> to UTC and America/Boise works for those distro's but not Debian. I
> guess that's a bug for another day.
>
> /Bob
>

Ok, long story short I tried upgrading to unstable failed and
reinstalled stable.

So, how would you recommend to "properly" set-up ntp (unless you know
why it isn't maintaining the correct time in the first place and how
to fix that). At the moment the clock is incorrect by about 3 minutes,
but that will get worse in a couple of days.

/Bob