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Idea #23301: Internet time syncronization in default install

bug This idea was marked as already implemented the 9 July 11. Available starting Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon.
Written by Prime Mover the 11 Jan 10 at 23:21. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: Already implemented
Rationale
For a variety of reasons, it's important for computers to maintain accurate time. Other OS vendors, such as Microsoft, have recognized this and have their operating systems sync automatically "out of the box."

Ubuntu currently doesn't support time synchronization in the default install. A user must know enough about their computer to find the setting, turn it on (which requires another step to install the NTP software), and then pick a time server. While such steps are trivial and comfortable for most technically-oriented users, they may escape the casual non-technical user. Such casual users may not know about the existence of the setting nor why they should enable it.
Tags: date ntp time

451
votes
closed
Solution #1: Install and configure the NTP daemon during OS installation
Written by Prime Mover the 11 Jan 10 at 23:21.
I propose that the NTP daemon be installed and configured as part of the default installation. The NTP daemon should be configured to use servers from the NTP Pool Project just like Debian does.

Canonical will need to register as a vendor at http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/vendors.html to receive a vendor zone that can be used for time synchronization by Ubuntu. These zones will look like 1.canonical.pool.ntp.org, 2.canonical.pool.ntp.org, and 3.canonical.pool.ntp.org. Once the vendor zone is available, the NTP package should be configured to use the zones for synchronizing the time.
0
votes
closed
Solution #2: Add Option for NTP Demon During Install
Written by lecorian the 6 Feb 10 at 18:10.
Simply add a checkbox when configuring timezones that with a message like "Synchronize time data with online servers". When users check the box it will automatically install NTP daemon

Propose your solution

Attachments
spec Blueprint desktop-lucid-ntp-default: [Information on this blueprint will be retrieved soon]


Duplicates


Comments
Akerbos wrote on the 13 Jan 10 at 20:56
I thought this'd be done by default already? O.o

ozbolt wrote on the 18 Jan 10 at 17:22
This could actually be papercut, this really isn't hard to implement. Really needed.

hibble wrote on the 18 Jan 10 at 19:15
Something like this should most defiantly be included in the install. +1

thenewme91 wrote on the 19 Jan 10 at 02:04
This used to be in the default install, but IIRC it would cause massive delays in startup if the network wasn't brought up before the ntp daemon. Fixing this properly would likely require hooking ntp into the network manager somehow, which makes it much less of a paper-cut as it would seem.

Prime Mover wrote on the 19 Jan 10 at 03:06
@thenewme91: The NTP daemon is runs in the background and, therefore, would not block anything during boot. I have my system configured to us NTP and use my laptop often without a network connection. It boots just as fast, and is just as responsive, off the network as on it.

ekspiulo wrote on the 5 Feb 10 at 21:00
Shouldn't Upstart be running the start up applications asynchronously? While the NTP daemon would be blocking, waiting on the network , it wouldn't affect anything else.

aliam13_2 wrote on the 7 Feb 10 at 09:11
I belive that ntpd does not block. It instead continully monitors internet time servers.

maxstirner wrote on the 12 Feb 10 at 10:44
I think its a bit of a scandal it doesn't already!

dinar wrote on the 18 Mar 10 at 05:16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Time_Protocol#Unix :
Because of sensitivity to timing, however, it is important to have the standard NTP clock phase-locked loop implemented in kernel space. All recent versions of Linux, BSD, Mac OS X and Solaris are implemented in this manner.

does this mean that particularly ntp system is built in linux kernel? so you say cannot it correct time without installing ntpd? but this is to ask in "answers", not here. also i want to know is allowing udp 123 outgoing packets and that related, established packets enough to ntpd to correct local time?

dinar wrote on the 18 Mar 10 at 05:48
ntpdate is already installed by default and it seems it is possible to correct time from time to time with it manually entering command.

cheesehead (Brainstorm admin) wrote on the 9 Jul 11 at 16:48
NTP was already part of the default install. A bug (since fixed) prevented it from working.


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