Ntpdate fails to start

[Bill Davidsen]

Paul Smith wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 1:11 PM, Stuart Sears <stuart at sjsears.com> wrote:
>>> At booting, ntpdate fails to start, and also the following command fails:
>>>
>>> # /sbin/service ntpdate start
>>> ntpdate: Synchronizing with time server:                   [FAILED]
>>> #
>>>
>>> The log messages are:
>>>
>>> Sep  7 12:50:50 localhost ntpdate[2908]: the NTP socket is in use, exiting
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>> service ntpd status
>>
>> Should show you that the ntp daemon is already running.
>>
>> You can't run both ntpd (the server) and ntpdate (the client) at the
>> same time.
> 
> Thanks, Stuart and Edward. Got this:
> 
> # /sbin/service ntpd status
> ntpd (pid 2059) is running...
> #
> 
> ntpdate tries to start at booting. So, should I disable it? Which one
> of the two should I have running in order to have always a correct
> time on my computer?
> 
either, but not both. I suggest ntpd, particularly if you run more than 
one machine. A local time server can be specified with the "prefer" 
(from memory) option, and that will be used if available. See the man 
pages on this. The nice thing about running your own server is that if 
your network connection drops your machines will all stay together, 
handy if you are trying to match logs from one machine to another.

If you run just one machine it probably doesn't matter.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot