From owner-freebsd-questions  Wed Nov  6 23:01:03 1996
Return-Path: owner-questions
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id XAA05710
          for questions-outgoing; Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:01:03 -0800 (PST)
Received: from gdi.uoregon.edu (gdi.uoregon.edu [128.223.170.30])
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id XAA05702
          for <questions@freefall.freebsd.org>; Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:00:59 -0800 (PST)
Received: from localhost (dwhite@localhost) by gdi.uoregon.edu (8.7.5/8.6.12) with SMTP id XAA12275; Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:00:53 -0800 (PST)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:00:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug White <dwhite@gdi.uoregon.edu>
Reply-To: dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu
To: Nik Clayton <nik@blueberry.co.uk>
cc: questions@freefall.freebsd.org, george@lincc.lincc.lib.or.us
Subject: Re: Time Server Setup - xntpd
In-Reply-To: <199611061100.LAA09626@coconut.blueberry.co.uk>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.94.961106225701.12066b-100000@gdi.uoregon.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: owner-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

On Wed, 6 Nov 1996, Nik Clayton wrote:

> If my reading of the man pages and /etc/rc is correct, then I have two 
> options if I want to keep accurate time on my machines, and have access to
> a time server somewhere (which I do).
> 
> 1. I can run timed(8) at startup, which will slowly synchronise my clock to
>    the master time server.

This seems to depend on the /etc/networks system, and uses TSP ('Time
Synchonization Protocol'), not NTP, the more recognized 'Network Time
Protocol.' 

> 2. I can run a combination of tickadj(8) to set the optimum value for
>    tickadj in the kernel, then I can run ntpdate(8) to set the initial
>    date and time to a correct value, and finally I run xntpd(8) to keep
>    the clock in sync with the master server.

This seems more complex than it really is.  I just set up /etc/ntp.conf to
point it in the right direction, run xntpd in sysconfig and it keeps the
system on track.  xntpd already uses the tickadj system for small time
updates and explicit sets for dates that are too far off.

Doug White                              | University of Oregon  
Internet:  dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu    | Residence Networking Assistant
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~dwhite    | Computer Science Major