[pkg-ntp-maintainers] Bug#515702: Bug#515702: ntpdate: "no servers can be used" with default configuration

[Peter Eisentraut]

Jack Bates wrote:
> Package: ntpdate
> Version: 1:4.2.4p4+dfsg-8
> Severity: normal
> 
> The default configuration shipped with ntpdate is NTPDATE_USE_NTP_CONF=yes, but a blank /etc/ntp.conf file. ntpdate does not depend on the ntp package, which distributes a non-blank /etc/ntp.conf
> 
> The ntpdate-debian script works great after manually setting NTPDATE_USE_NTP_CONF=no, or creating a /etc/ntp.conf. However if ntpdate-debian is run without manual reconfiguration, using just the defaults, it results in "no servers can be used, exiting"
> 
> Would it not be better to distribute the default ntpdate configuration with NTPDATE_USE_NTP_CONF=no, or distribute a working ntp.conf? so ntpdate-debian works even without manual reconfiguration?

This assessment is not correct.  If NTPDATE_USE_NTP_CONF is yes but 
/etc/ntp.conf (or other candidate file) does not exist, the NTPSERVERS 
configuration in /etc/default/ntpdate is used.  Try it by running 
ntpdate-debian with sh -x and see what it ends up executing.

Your problem appears to be with ntpdate itself, not with the 
configuration mechanisms around it.