[gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Liviu Andronic]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to synchronize the system time with the help of rdate
(openNTPD is on the list in case of failure). I have one problem,
though: I connect to the Internet through a proxy server. I have set
up the necessary environment, but I doubt that rdate listens to it:

localhost init.d # env | grep -i proxy
http_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
ftp_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
rsync_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
https_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port

localhost init.d # rdate pool.ntp.org
rdate: couldn't connect to host pool.ntp.org: Connection refused

Please advise on how to correctly specify the proxy server in the NTP
server address. I am wondering if there is a syntax similar to
proxy.address.dom:port@pool.ntp.org. Alternatively, how can I make
rdate honour the proxy settings?

Regards,
Liviu
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Roman Zilka]

Hi Liviu,

it seems you're only allowed to access web, FTP and rsync services on
the Internet through your proxy. Both rsync and NTP use their own ports
and protocols, different from HTTP/FTP/rsync. Firstly, you need a proxy
server (or some other form of tunnel) that will allow for rdate/NTP
traffic between your computer and Internet.

Secondly, you have to configure rdate/NTP to make use of the proxy, but
AFAIK there's nothing like ntp_proxy or rdate_proxy env. variables
these programs would honor. Instead, timeserver proxies are more common
in the form of a local timeserver which sync's with an external
timesource and offers its services to the local network via standard
protocols. You would then sync time using this proxy directly, e.g.
"rdate -s timeproxy.localaddress.dom". Try asking around if there's such
a service available in your local network.

-Roman


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I'm trying to synchronize the system time with the help of rdate
> (openNTPD is on the list in case of failure). I have one problem,
> though: I connect to the Internet through a proxy server. I have set
> up the necessary environment, but I doubt that rdate listens to it:
> 
> localhost init.d # env | grep -i proxy
> http_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
> ftp_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
> rsync_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
> https_proxy=proxy.address.dom:port
> 
> localhost init.d # rdate pool.ntp.org
> rdate: couldn't connect to host pool.ntp.org: Connection refused
> 
> Please advise on how to correctly specify the proxy server in the NTP
> server address. I am wondering if there is a syntax similar to
> proxy.address.dom:port@pool.ntp.org. Alternatively, how can I make
> rdate honour the proxy settings?
> 
> Regards,
> Liviu
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Arturo 'Buanzo' Busleiman]

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There is a tool in portage or freshmeat, if my memory doesn't fail me, that uses HTTP to sync time/date.

- --
Arturo "Buanzo" Busleiman - Consultor Independiente en Seguridad Informatica
Servicios Ofrecidos: http://www.buanzo.com.ar/pro/
Unase a los Foros GNU/Buanzo - La palabra Comunidad en su maxima expresion.
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Arturo 'Buanzo' Busleiman]

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* net-misc/htpdate
     Available versions:  ~0.9.2 0.9.3 1.0.0
     Homepage:            http://www.clevervest.com/htp/
     Description:         Synchronize local workstation with time offered by remote webservers


- --
Arturo "Buanzo" Busleiman - Consultor Independiente en Seguridad Informatica
Servicios Ofrecidos: http://www.buanzo.com.ar/pro/
Unase a los Foros GNU/Buanzo - La palabra Comunidad en su maxima expresion.
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Liviu Andronic]

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Thank you both for the quick replies.

The answer to my problem is htpdate. I was searching for such an utility for
quite some time. I still have one problem, though. When installing Gentoo, I
probably chose the USA as my location. However, I'm located in CET (that is,
GMT+1). From htpdate, I receive the following output:

localhost liviu # /usr/sbin/htpdate -dq -P PROXY_ADDRESS:PROXY_PORT
www.linux.org www.opera.com pool.ntp.org
www.linux.org 03 Sep 2007 07:32:19 GMT (0.477) => -24738
www.linux.org 03 Sep 2007 07:32:20 GMT (0.325) => -24738
www.opera.com 03 Sep 2007 07:32:21 GMT (0.119) => -24738
www.opera.com 03 Sep 2007 07:32:22 GMT (0.117) => -24738
pool.ntp.org 03 Sep 2007 07:32:22 GMT (0.134) => -24738
pool.ntp.org 03 Sep 2007 07:32:23 GMT (0.072) => -24738
#: 3, mean: -24738, average: -24738.000
Timezone: GMT-5 (EST,EST)
Offset -24738.000 seconds

For some reason, it persistently considers my timezone EST (Eastern Standard
Time, GMT-5). I reconsidered Gentoo's localization guide and now
/etc/cond.d/clock contains these two options:

localhost liviu # nano /etc/conf.d/clock
[..]
CLOCK="local"
TIMEZONE="Europe/Berlin"
[..]

I also added TZ="Europe/Berlin" to both user and
root ~/.bash_profile. And still, htpdate wants to synchronize my clock to EST.

Any ideas on how to make htpdate think that I'm actually in the EU instead
of the US? There was no info on the way it treats timezones, neither in the
man page, nor on their site. I did find in their changelog: 0.6.1 ----- -
Code clean up, use global variable 'timezone'. However, running it under new
env gives me yet again the time synced to EST:

localhost liviu # timezone="GMT+1" OR TIMEZONE="CET" htpdate -dq -P
PROXY_ADDRESS:PROXY_PORT www.linux.org www.opera.com pool.ntp.org
[..]
Timezone: GMT-5 (EST,EST)
Offset -24738.000 seconds


Regards,
Liviu

On 9/2/07, Arturo 'Buanzo' Busleiman <buanzo@buanzo.com.ar> wrote:
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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>
> * net-misc/htpdate
>      Available versions:  ~0.9.2 0.9.3 1.0.0
>      Homepage:            http://www.clevervest.com/htp/
>      Description:         Synchronize local workstation with time offered
> by remote webservers
>
>
>


-- 
Liviu

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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 03:00:05 -0500, Liviu Andronic wrote:

> For some reason, it persistently considers my timezone EST (Eastern
> Standard Time, GMT-5). I reconsidered Gentoo's localization guide and
> now /etc/cond.d/clock contains these two options:
> 
> localhost liviu # nano /etc/conf.d/clock
> [..]
> CLOCK="local"
> TIMEZONE="Europe/Berlin"
> [..]

This setting is only used when emerging timezone-data, to copy the
correct file to /etc/localtime. Either re-emerge timesone-data or 
cp /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Berlin /etc/localtime.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

To iterate is human; to recurse, divine.

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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Liviu Andronic]

On 9/3/07, Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk> wrote:
> On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 03:00:05 -0500, Liviu Andronic wrote:
>
> This setting is only used when emerging timezone-data, to copy the
> correct file to /etc/localtime. Either re-emerge timesone-data or
> cp /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Berlin /etc/localtime.

I re-emerged timezone-data. This package provides a useful utility
tzselect. I also had to change the timezone used by Orage clock. Now,
finally (!!!) the time is synced. Thanks all.

Regards,
Liviu
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Liviu Andronic]

Thread wikified:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Synchronize_time:_simple_and_lightweight_solutions

On 9/3/07, Liviu Andronic <landronimirc@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 9/3/07, Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk> wrote:
> > On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 03:00:05 -0500, Liviu Andronic wrote:
> >
> > This setting is only used when emerging timezone-data, to copy the
> > correct file to /etc/localtime. Either re-emerge timesone-data or
> > cp /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Berlin /etc/localtime.
>
> I re-emerged timezone-data. This package provides a useful utility
> tzselect. I also had to change the timezone used by Orage clock. Now,
> finally (!!!) the time is synced. Thanks all.
>
> Regards,
> Liviu
>


-- 
Liviu
-- 
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Re: [gentoo-user] proper proxy syntax to synchronize time via rdate

[Arturo 'Buanzo' Busleiman]

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Liviu Andronic wrote:
> Thread wikified:
> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Synchronize_time:_simple_and_lightweight_solutions

I've added a paragraph and made some syntactical/gramatical corrections. Great article!

- --
Arturo "Buanzo" Busleiman - Consultor Independiente en Seguridad Informatica
Servicios Ofrecidos: http://www.buanzo.com.ar/pro/
Unase a los Foros GNU/Buanzo - La palabra Comunidad en su maxima expresion.
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