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

[Kurt Roeckx]

On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 02:13:34PM +0200, Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> 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.

He says he somehow ended up with a blank /etc/ntp.conf file, which
shouldn't happen.


Kurt