Configuring NTP

I want to configure NTP on this box, i.e. the Cobalt Qube as its losing time. Badly.

Dhis is now done, I have a very simple ntp.conf file and am using DNS hostnames. This is not advisable under Linux because you must have a valid DNS service available when the daemon seeks to resolve the addresses. It might be possible to resolve the dns names vis the /etc/hosts file. The Howto article below is quite good.

The test should be ntpq -p to see if the deamon is working Ok, I don't think the Cobalt ntpd script does this; it browses the process table.

So

1. check ntp isn't running
2. Add the server lines to /etc/ntp.conf, you really need two. Use time servers from organisations that permit or don't care that one's taking a feed.
3. Enable port 123/udp on the firewall
4. Start the daemon
5. Test the service using ntpq, can you see all the configured servers
6. If the drift is significant from the time server, then take the service down and then use ntpdate -u to set the clock

The Linux chkconfig utility is set up for the rc script and I shall therefore invoke it using chkconfig -add.

I have found the following links

• Quick HOTO
  
• ntp.org, of course
  
• my google search
  
• ntp at the Uni. of Nottingham

I returned to this in 2011, and found http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/use.html. It's all got a lot easier.