Shippable ntp.conf files for the HOWTO

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo Achim!

On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 21:54:56 +0200
Achim Gratz <Stromeko at nexgo.de> wrote:

> Gary E. Miller writes:
> >     # if you have no other local chimers to help NTP perform sanity
> > checks # then you can use some public chimers from the NTP public
> > pool: # http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/  
> 
> Perhaps mention that there's a link to the continental zones on that
> page with more links to the country zones on that continent.

Got a suggested working?

> >     # To use the pool servers uncomment the last four lines in this
> >     section.  
> 
> Just any one such line is enough.

No, I get a lot of dead servers from the pool.  And with more than
one there is achance one is not 2,000 miles away.

> It seems that chosing multiple
> pools from the same zone increases the chances of getting the same
> server assigned twice.

Not a problem.

> >     # The iburst option tells ntpd to query the pool serers with
> >     bursts instead  
> 
> s/serers/servers/

Fixed.

> The iburst is supposed to only affect the initial contact to the
> servers, contrary to the burst option (which IIRC is shunned by
> NTPpool), which would use bursts on all contacts.

I tweaked the wording to make that clearer.

> I'd still drop the country code since someone not in the U.S. will
> just uncomment the line(s) anyway.

I get horrible servers when I do that.  Sure it works for some people
and is insanely perverse for others.  That leads to the pool getting an
aweful reputation.

> The add a text to the effect that
> one should use the local country or continental zone after looking it
> up via the address given above.

Having spent a lot of time in asia, I can tell you that using the
asia.pool.ntp.org can be worse than the basic pool.  You would think that
a place like Sinagpore would be low ping to Malaysia, but almost all the
interlinks go to LA and back!  I have heard of similar issues in Africa.

The text already links to the pool web, do you have suggested better
wording?

> Now, at least for the raspberryPi, the easier way of doing this is
> keeping the ntpd package installed and configured,

I'll leave that argument between you and Eric.  I'm a Gentoo user
and that does not apply to me, nor do I wish to aid and abet
Jessie.

So, current best wording:

    # If you have no other local chimers to help NTP perform sanity checks
    # then you can use some public chimers from the NTP public pool:
    # http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/

    # To use the pool servers uncomment the last four lines in this section.
    # The iburst option tells ntpd to query the pool servers with an initial
    # bursts instead of single requests.  This can yield better results on
    # startup to remote servers.
    # Notice I use the 'us' country code servers, otherwise I might get one
    # pool server from Ukraine and another from Singapore.  If you are
    # not in the USA, then change the 'us' to your two letter country code.
    #  server 0.us.pool.ntp.org iburst
    #  server 1.us.pool.ntp.org iburst
    #  server 2.us.pool.ntp.org iburst
    #  server 3.us.pool.ntp.org iburst




RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
	gem at rellim.com  Tel:+1 541 382 8588
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