Periodic running of ntpdate

**Senior_Buckethead** · November 20th, 2012

Hi all

several times a day (when I remember..) I run the following in terminal:

Code:

glenn@design:~$ sudo ntpdate 2.nz.pool.ntp.org
[sudo] password for glenn: 
21 Nov 04:01:18 ntpdate[4084]: step time server 119.47.118.129 offset 91.031078 sec
glenn@design:~$

Is there an easy way that I can automate that process so it runs every 6 hours or so?

I know nothing. nothing.

Glenn

**Tony Flury** · November 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by Senior_Buckethead

Hi all

several times a day (when I remember..) I run the following in terminal:

Code:

glenn@design:~$ sudo ntpdate 2.nz.pool.ntp.org
[sudo] password for glenn: 
21 Nov 04:01:18 ntpdate[4084]: step time server 119.47.118.129 offset 91.031078 sec
glenn@design:~$

Is there an easy way that I can automate that process so it runs every 6 hours or so?

I know nothing. nothing.

Glenn

I would suggest that this is the wrong thing to do - what you really need is to get the ntp deamon running on your pc so that it keeps your machine in step, and should also prevent any nasty step changes which could throw some pograms off.

https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/serverguide/NTP.html - see the section on ntpd.

**Zill** · November 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by Tony Flury

I would suggest that this is the wrong thing to do - what you really need is to get the ntp deamon running on your pc so that it keeps your machine in step, and should also prevent any nasty step changes which could throw some pograms off.

https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/serverguide/NTP.html - see the section on ntpd.

+1

NTP/ntpd is the way to go to keep your PC always synchronised. Just install, configure and then forget all about it.

**Senior_Buckethead** · November 21st, 2012

Ok, have installed ntp.
now run

Code:

glenn@design:/etc$ sudo ntpq -p

and got:

Code:

glenn@design:/etc$ sudo ntpq -p
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
==============================================================================
+kgb.comnet.bg     209.81.9.7           2 u   25   64  377  383.758  1259.15 689.834
+89.149.57.26          128.10.254.7       2 u   16   64  377  395.395  1276.78 700.364
+prrr.se                     192.36.144.22     2 u   12   64  377  338.570  1279.76 706.608
*205-196-146-72.    209.51.161.238  2 u   34   64  377  227.348  1230.83 683.339
+europium.canoni 193.79.237.14     2 u   31   64  377   377.648  1236.90 688.264
glenn@design:/etc$

Nay of those bad? Some look sus. If so, how do I remove them?

The time servers i have used are:
server msltime1.irl.cri.nz
server msltime2.irl.cri.nz

webpage: http://msl.irl.cri.nz/services/time-...er-information
Glenn.

**Zill** · November 21st, 2012

Senior_Buckethead: AIUI, the longer NTP runs the more accurate the time becomes. Your numbers (delay/offset/jitter etc) do seem quite a bit higher than mine and so it maybe that these will improve after a longer period of running.

However, although you appear to be based in NZ, I suggest you may get better results by using "pool" servers, which automatically uses different servers in your area to even out load.

I would try editing /etc/ntp.conf and change your two servers for the following four servers:

Code:

server 0.pool.ntp.org
server 1.pool.ntp.org
server 2.pool.ntp.org
server 3.pool.ntp.org

Then restart ntpd:

Code:

sudo /etc/init.d/ntp reload

Enter "ntpq -p" and see what numbers you get. Then try entering "ntpq -p" after a few hours and see if things get more accurate. (Note that this does not need the sudo prefix).

As a real "sanity check", check your PC time against an analogue radio time signal or a GPS/satnav receiver. It should be spot-on.