[gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[damian]

Hi,

In the past I've used htpdate to synchronize my computer's clock. But
I would like to know what daemon would you recommend me. I'm searching
for a lightweight option.

Thanks in advance,
Damian.

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Paul Hartman]

On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 2:01 PM, damian <damian.only@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> In the past I've used htpdate to synchronize my computer's clock. But
> I would like to know what daemon would you recommend me. I'm searching
> for a lightweight option.

I use net-misc/ntp and it seems to work fine.

Paul

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Dave Jones]

Hi Damian,

damian wrote on 24/11/08 21:01:
> In the past I've used htpdate to synchronize my computer's clock. But
> I would like to know what daemon would you recommend me. I'm searching
> for a lightweight option.

ntp is a 'standard' ntp set-up. It needs some configuration work to get
it running properly, though it works more or less 'out of the box'.

openntpd is a simplified ntp. It is very easy to set up, but has less
possibilities than the 'standard' ntp.

Both packages are lightweight, with very low system overhead.

Cheers, Dave

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Dale]

Dave Jones wrote:
> Hi Damian,
>
> damian wrote on 24/11/08 21:01:
>   
>> In the past I've used htpdate to synchronize my computer's clock. But
>> I would like to know what daemon would you recommend me. I'm searching
>> for a lightweight option.
>>     
>
> ntp is a 'standard' ntp set-up. It needs some configuration work to get
> it running properly, though it works more or less 'out of the box'.
>
> openntpd is a simplified ntp. It is very easy to set up, but has less
> possibilities than the 'standard' ntp.
>
> Both packages are lightweight, with very low system overhead.
>
> Cheers, Dave
>
>
>   

I agree.  I been using ntp here and it works fine.  If you need help
configuring it, let me know.  Off list if needed, just put Gentoo in the
subject line. 

Dale

:-)  :-)

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[damian]

> I agree.  I been using ntp here and it works fine.  If you need help
> configuring it, let me know.  Off list if needed, just put Gentoo in the
> subject line.
Ok, thanks Dale. But I can you tell me if there is any difference
among ntp and htpdate?

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Dirk Heinrichs]

Am Dienstag, 25. November 2008 16:38:00 schrieb damian:
> > I agree.  I been using ntp here and it works fine.  If you need help
> > configuring it, let me know.  Off list if needed, just put Gentoo in the
> > subject line.
>
> Ok, thanks Dale. But I can you tell me if there is any difference
> among ntp and htpdate?

Hmm, I first thought this was a typo of yours (which should have been 
ntpdate), but then you did it again, so I asked Google. From htpdate's man 
page:

"The HTTP Time Protocol (HTP) is used to synchronize a computer's time with 
web servers as reference time source. Htp will synchronize your computer's 
time to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) via HTTP headers from web servers. The 
htpdate package includes a program for retrieving the date and time from 
remote machines via a network. Htpdate works through proxy servers. Accuracy 
of htpdate will be usually within 0.5 seconds (better with multiple servers). 
If this is not good enough for you, try the ntpd package."

So yes, there is a difference. With htpdate, you synchronize against a _web_ 
server. How do you know it has a stable time source? OTOH, with ntp you 
synchronize against a specialized network _time_ server which is usually 
equiped with an accurate time souce*), using a protocol that was specifically 
desigend for that purpose (for example the time is adjusted without jumps), 
see http://www.ntp.org/ for all the details.

HTH...

	Dirk

*) As an example ptbtime1.ptb.de, hosted by the "Physikalisch-Technische 
Bundesanstalt" in germany is a so called stratum1 time server which is 
connected to the most accurate clock on earth, which provides the official 
time for germany.

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[damian]

> So yes, there is a difference. With htpdate, you synchronize against a _web_
> server. How do you know it has a stable time source? OTOH, with ntp you
> synchronize against a specialized network _time_ server which is usually
> equiped with an accurate time souce*), using a protocol that was specifically
> desigend for that purpose (for example the time is adjusted without jumps),
> see http://www.ntp.org/ for all the details.
Thank you so much for the comparison Dirk. I did't take that aspect
into account (I was concern about performance issues only, not
correctness). So I guess for the moment I will keep using htpdate, and
when I find the time I will switch to some ntp client. Actually, so
far I haven't had problems with htpdate, but I guess in this case
there's no harm in being paranoic.

Thanks everybody for your help.

Best regards,
Damian.

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Alan McKinnon]

On Tuesday 25 November 2008 20:40:52 Dirk Heinrichs wrote:
> So yes, there is a difference. With htpdate, you synchronize against a
> _web_ server. How do you know it has a stable time source? OTOH, with ntp
> you synchronize against a specialized network _time_ server which is
> usually equiped with an accurate time souce*), using a protocol that was
> specifically desigend for that purpose (for example the time is adjusted
> without jumps), see http://www.ntp.org/ for all the details.

> *) As an example ptbtime1.ptb.de, hosted by the "Physikalisch-Technische
> Bundesanstalt" in germany is a so called stratum1 time server which is
> connected to the most accurate clock on earth, which provides the official
> time for germany.

An interesting sidenote on this. I work for a tier 1 carrier in my country and 
right now we are replacing our ntp server. I don't work with this stuff every 
day so I was most surprised to find that the new unit is actually a GPS 
device and will no longer sync to the stratum 1 server run by our Scientific 
Research Council. Apparently, this is good enough for ISP/internet purposes 
for all practical intents and purposes.

-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Dale]

damian wrote:
>> I agree.  I been using ntp here and it works fine.  If you need help
>> configuring it, let me know.  Off list if needed, just put Gentoo in the
>> subject line.
>>     
> Ok, thanks Dale. But I can you tell me if there is any difference
> among ntp and htpdate?
>
>
>   

This is the first time I have heard of htpdate so I can't say anything
good or bad.  I know ntp works well here and the setup was not to hard. 
Run a couple commands and put the results in the ntp.conf and start the
service.  It just works here.  Heck, I'm on dial-up and it works pretty
good.  If I had a always on broadband, oh boy!!

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Arttu V.]

On 11/26/08, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> damian wrote:
>>> I agree.  I been using ntp here and it works fine.  If you need help
>>> configuring it, let me know.  Off list if needed, just put Gentoo in the
>>> subject line.
>>>
>> Ok, thanks Dale. But I can you tell me if there is any difference
>> among ntp and htpdate?
>>
>>
>>
>
> This is the first time I have heard of htpdate so I can't say anything
> good or bad.  I know ntp works well here and the setup was not to hard.
> Run a couple commands and put the results in the ntp.conf and start the
> service.  It just works here.  Heck, I'm on dial-up and it works pretty
> good.  If I had a always on broadband, oh boy!!
>
> Dale
>
> :-)  :-)
>
>

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Arttu V.]

On 11/26/08, Arttu V. <arttuv69@gmail.com> wrote:
>

And I beg your pardon for once again clicking on "Send" instead of
"Archive" in gmail ... >.<

-- 
Arttu V.

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:11:43 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:

> An interesting sidenote on this. I work for a tier 1 carrier in my
> country and right now we are replacing our ntp server. I don't work
> with this stuff every day so I was most surprised to find that the new
> unit is actually a GPS device and will no longer sync to the stratum 1
> server run by our Scientific Research Council.

And if someone steals it, it can tell you where it is :)


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Where the system is concerned, you're not allowed to ask `Why?'

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Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Alan McKinnon]

On Wednesday 26 November 2008 18:58:26 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:11:43 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > An interesting sidenote on this. I work for a tier 1 carrier in my
> > country and right now we are replacing our ntp server. I don't work
> > with this stuff every day so I was most surprised to find that the new
> > unit is actually a GPS device and will no longer sync to the stratum 1
> > server run by our Scientific Research Council.
>
> And if someone steals it, it can tell you where it is :)

That's clever, very clever :-)

What's even more clever is I spent half a minute looking for the content of 
your post before I realized I wasn't looking at one of your fortunes :-)

-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:31:16 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:

> > And if someone steals it, it can tell you where it is :)  
> 
> That's clever, very clever :-)

I was only half joking. There's a GPS tracker app for the Google Android
so you can find it if stolen. 

> What's even more clever is I spent half a minute looking for the
> content of your post before I realized I wasn't looking at one of your
> fortunes :-)

LOL!


-- 
Neil Bothwick

I've got a Mickey Mouse PC with a Goofy operating system.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Alan McKinnon]

On Wednesday 26 November 2008 21:09:38 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:31:16 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > > And if someone steals it, it can tell you where it is :)
> >
> > That's clever, very clever :-)
>
> I was only half joking. There's a GPS tracker app for the Google Android
> so you can find it if stolen.

Ooooh! Great idea!

Is that something I can port to my daily packet of cigarettes, lighter, bike 
keys, helmet and gloves? Boots are fine, they stay on the flat things at the 
end of my legs.

Yeah, I do kind of tend to forget where I put things...



-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Iain Buchanan]

Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:31:16 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
>
>>> And if someone steals it, it can tell you where it is :)
>> That's clever, very clever :-)
>
> I was only half joking. There's a GPS tracker app for the Google Android
> so you can find it if stolen.

<conspiracy_theory>
Or someone else can track _you_!
</conspiracy_theory>

-- 
Iain Buchanan <iaindb at netspace dot net dot au>

In a bottle, the neck is always at the top.

Re: [gentoo-user] Update the clock using internet servers: recommendations

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:04:24 +0930, Iain Buchanan wrote:

> > I was only half joking. There's a GPS tracker app for the Google
> > Android so you can find it if stolen.  
> 
> <conspiracy_theory>
> Or someone else can track _you_!
> </conspiracy_theory>

Yes, but only the people running the tracking service. One of the
interesting features of the tracking software is that you can turn it on
with an SMS message, if you know the activation code, so you can start it
when your phone is stolen.

Of course, Google will know where you are every time you have Google maps
show your location,but they already know everything about you anyway :-O


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Top Oxymorons Number 44: Advanced BASIC

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