ntpd fscked up again

Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
[color=blue]
>Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>on.[/color]

Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
"dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
if a server is not available on startup.

This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
versions.



[color=blue]
>ntp.conf specified a timeserver which is in datacenter.[/color]
[color=blue]
>Datacenter had power outage.[/color]
[color=blue]
>Power is restored.[/color]
[color=blue]
>ntp client comes up before network switch and before timeserver.[/color]
[color=blue]
>ntp does not see the timeserver. It quietly drops it from the list,
>and basically sits there doing nothing, since there is nothing else
>on the list. (and having more stuff on the list would not help)[/color]
[color=blue]
>I get no notice from it whatsoever, nothing in log files, etc. It just
>sits there, doing nothing, not letting me know, time is drifting. I
>have 26 servers acting in this manner.[/color]
[color=blue]
>Come on people. That's not how highly available programs behave. It
>should keep on trying, or at least exit if it cannot do its job. If it
>exited, my cron job with ntpdate would take over and fix things.[/color]
[color=blue]
>This is on Ubuntu Hardy.[/color]

Ubuntu does not write ntp. What version of ntp does it use?

[color=blue]
>--
> Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
> to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
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> more readers you will need to find a different means of
> posting on Usenet.
> [url]http://improve-usenet.org/[/url][/color]

Bill Unruh wrote:[color=blue]
> Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
>[color=green]
>> Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>> on.[/color]
>
> Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
> "dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
> if a server is not available on startup.
>
> This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
> versions.[/color]

A handy option.
FWIW, Fedora 9 has ntp-4.2.4p4, which has it. Yay!
RHEL 5.2 has ntp-4.2.2, which doesn't. Argh.
Well, 5.3 will probably be out before the end of the year.

On 2008-09-13, Allen Kistler <ackistler@oohay.moc> wrote:[color=blue]
> Bill Unruh wrote:[color=green]
>> Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>>> on.[/color]
>>
>> Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
>> "dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
>> if a server is not available on startup.
>>
>> This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
>> versions.[/color]
>
> A handy option.
> FWIW, Fedora 9 has ntp-4.2.4p4, which has it. Yay!
> RHEL 5.2 has ntp-4.2.2, which doesn't. Argh.
> Well, 5.3 will probably be out before the end of the year.[/color]

I have 4.2.4p4 on Ubuntu. The manpage for ntp.conf does not mention
this option.

server address
[autokey | key key] [burst] [version version] [prefer] [minpoll minpoll] [maxpoll maxpoll]

For type s and r addresses, this operates as the NTPv3 server command which mobilizes a persistent client mode association.
The server command specifies that the local server is to operate in client mode with the specified remote server. In this
mode, the local server can be synchronized to the remote server, but the remote server can never be synchronized to the local
server.


--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
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posting on Usenet.
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Ignoramus22875 <ignoramus22875@NOSPAM.22875.invalid> writes:
[color=blue]
>On 2008-09-13, Allen Kistler <ackistler@oohay.moc> wrote:[color=green]
>> Bill Unruh wrote:[color=darkred]
>>> Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
>>>
>>>> Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>>>> on.
>>>
>>> Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
>>> "dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
>>> if a server is not available on startup.
>>>
>>> This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
>>> versions.[/color]
>>
>> A handy option.
>> FWIW, Fedora 9 has ntp-4.2.4p4, which has it. Yay!
>> RHEL 5.2 has ntp-4.2.2, which doesn't. Argh.
>> Well, 5.3 will probably be out before the end of the year.[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
>I have 4.2.4p4 on Ubuntu. The manpage for ntp.conf does not mention
>this option.[/color]

As has been mentioned often, there IS no man page for ntp written by the
ntp writers. Any such man page is written by some outsider. The ntp people
believe man pages are evil, and only 100 html pages as documentation are
good. That way you cannot search them easily. (Yes, I am joking, well
mostly)

Mind you the html page on ntp.org says this option is not implimented in
the current version. This is wrong. Ah well.


[color=blue]
> server address
> [autokey | key key] [burst] [version version] [prefer] [minpoll minpoll] [maxpoll maxpoll][/color]

Send in a bug report on the man page. But do it quickly because the option
has disappeared in 4.2.4p5 and become the default.

[color=blue]
> For type s and r addresses, this operates as the NTPv3 server command which mobilizes a persistent client mode association.[/color]

ntp is now up to version 4. That is a very old man page.

[color=blue]
> The server command specifies that the local server is to operate in client mode with the specified remote server. In this
> mode, the local server can be synchronized to the remote server, but the remote server can never be synchronized to the local
> server.[/color]

On 2008-09-14, Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> wrote:[color=blue]
> Ignoramus22875 <ignoramus22875@NOSPAM.22875.invalid> writes:
>[color=green]
>>On 2008-09-13, Allen Kistler <ackistler@oohay.moc> wrote:[color=darkred]
>>> Bill Unruh wrote:
>>>> Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
>>>>
>>>>> Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>>>>> on.
>>>>
>>>> Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
>>>> "dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
>>>> if a server is not available on startup.
>>>>
>>>> This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
>>>> versions.
>>>
>>> A handy option.
>>> FWIW, Fedora 9 has ntp-4.2.4p4, which has it. Yay!
>>> RHEL 5.2 has ntp-4.2.2, which doesn't. Argh.
>>> Well, 5.3 will probably be out before the end of the year.[/color][/color]
>[color=green]
>>I have 4.2.4p4 on Ubuntu. The manpage for ntp.conf does not mention
>>this option.[/color]
>
> As has been mentioned often, there IS no man page for ntp written by the
> ntp writers. Any such man page is written by some outsider. The ntp people
> believe man pages are evil, and only 100 html pages as documentation are
> good. That way you cannot search them easily. (Yes, I am joking, well
> mostly)
>
> Mind you the html page on ntp.org says this option is not implimented in
> the current version. This is wrong. Ah well.
>[/color]

So I could say

server ntp.ubuntu.com dynamic

Right?

i
[color=blue]
>[color=green]
>> server address
>> [autokey | key key] [burst] [version version] [prefer] [minpoll minpoll] [maxpoll maxpoll][/color]
>
> Send in a bug report on the man page. But do it quickly because the option
> has disappeared in 4.2.4p5 and become the default.
>
>[color=green]
>> For type s and r addresses, this operates as the NTPv3 server command which mobilizes a persistent client mode association.[/color]
>
> ntp is now up to version 4. That is a very old man page.
>
>[color=green]
>> The server command specifies that the local server is to operate in client mode with the specified remote server. In this
>> mode, the local server can be synchronized to the remote server, but the remote server can never be synchronized to the local
>> server.[/color]
>
>[/color]

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
[url]http://improve-usenet.org/[/url]

Ignoramus22875 <ignoramus22875@NOSPAM.22875.invalid> writes:
[color=blue]
>On 2008-09-14, Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> wrote:[color=green]
>> Ignoramus22875 <ignoramus22875@NOSPAM.22875.invalid> writes:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>On 2008-09-13, Allen Kistler <ackistler@oohay.moc> wrote:
>>>> Bill Unruh wrote:
>>>>> Ignoramus24166 <ignoramus24166@NOSPAM.24166.invalid> writes:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Here I had another case of why ntpd is finicky and cannot be relied
>>>>>> on.
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, reading the ( admittedly terribly laid out) documentation-- See the
>>>>> "dynamic" keyword for a server. It does exactly what you want-- keep trying
>>>>> if a server is not available on startup.
>>>>>
>>>>> This is now the default in ntp 4.2.4p5 and was available in earlier 4.2.4
>>>>> versions.
>>>>
>>>> A handy option.
>>>> FWIW, Fedora 9 has ntp-4.2.4p4, which has it. Yay!
>>>> RHEL 5.2 has ntp-4.2.2, which doesn't. Argh.
>>>> Well, 5.3 will probably be out before the end of the year.[/color]
>>[color=darkred]
>>>I have 4.2.4p4 on Ubuntu. The manpage for ntp.conf does not mention
>>>this option.[/color]
>>
>> As has been mentioned often, there IS no man page for ntp written by the
>> ntp writers. Any such man page is written by some outsider. The ntp people
>> believe man pages are evil, and only 100 html pages as documentation are
>> good. That way you cannot search them easily. (Yes, I am joking, well
>> mostly)
>>
>> Mind you the html page on ntp.org says this option is not implimented in
>> the current version. This is wrong. Ah well.
>>[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
>So I could say[/color]
[color=blue]
>server ntp.ubuntu.com dynamic[/color]

I believe so. Try it. If that is wrong ntp should complain.

What version of ntp are you running?

[color=blue]
>Right?[/color]
[color=blue]
>i[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>>[color=darkred]
>>> server address
>>> [autokey | key key] [burst] [version version] [prefer] [minpoll minpoll] [maxpoll maxpoll][/color]
>>
>> Send in a bug report on the man page. But do it quickly because the option
>> has disappeared in 4.2.4p5 and become the default.
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>> For type s and r addresses, this operates as the NTPv3 server command which mobilizes a persistent client mode association.[/color]
>>
>> ntp is now up to version 4. That is a very old man page.
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>> The server command specifies that the local server is to operate in client mode with the specified remote server. In this
>>> mode, the local server can be synchronized to the remote server, but the remote server can never be synchronized to the local
>>> server.[/color]
>>
>>[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
>--
> Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
> to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
> from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
> more readers you will need to find a different means of
> posting on Usenet.
> [url]http://improve-usenet.org/[/url][/color]