Shippable ntp.conf files for the HOWTO

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo Hal!

On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 16:21:15 -0700
Hal Murray <hmurray at megapathdsl.net> wrote:

> gem at rellim.com said:
> >     # The iburst option tells ntpd to query the pool serers with
> > bursts ins= tead
> >     # of single requests.  This can yield better results to remote
> > servers.   
> 
> That part is just wrong.

Got a code reference?  We are both reading the same doc and coming to 
different conclusions.  I already updated my peer section to reflect
your comments.  See below for the latest.

Before we dive down that rat hole, do you agree with the latest peer
section, as below?  If not, got a proposed wording change?

> He's using the pool via multiple server lines rather than a pool
> line, so he gets one server per line unless they happen to be a
> duplicate.
> >     #  server 0.us.pool.ntp.org iburst  

Is there a better way than I am doing?

I just copied off the pool, ubuntu, gentoo and redhat howtos:

    http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/use.html
    https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/NTP.html
    https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Ntp
    https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Deployment_Guide/sect-Date_and_Time_Configuration-Command_Line_Configuration-Network_Time_Protocol.html

Are they all suboptimal?

> gem at rellim.com said:
> >> 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.   
> 
> One line is enough if you say "pool" rather than "server".

Your suggested ntp.conf line?

If there is a better way, then the howto should explain why the
'common knowledge' on the internet is wrong.  

Until then, this is our best guess:

    # 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
    # burst 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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