What packet modes do we support?

[Eric S. Raymond]

Hal Murray via devel <devel at ntpsec.org>:
> Where is that documented?  

The page that covers differences from Classic - docs/ntpsec.txt.  It's under
Security.

> Context is I'm working on documentation.  Often, I'm removing stuff that is 
> no longer relevant.  Sometimes that requires checking the code.  Some of the 
> code needs cleaning up too.  I think - maybe I just don't understand it yet.

Good, somebody needs to do this.  And it needs to be somone with a not-Eric
perspective. Can't think of a better fit than you.

> We treat peer in ntp.conf as an alias for server.
> So we don't send MODE_ACTIVE.
> It looks like we respond to MODE_ACTIVE with MODE_PASSIVE.
> 
> It looks like we can send MODE_BROADCAST.

Yes, but not be a client for it.

> I assume that's for compatibility.
> Has anybody tried it?

No, and that worries me just a little.  Daniel probably left that code
working but there's some chance it might have bit-rotted since.

> I assume we ignore received  MODE_BROADCAST packets, but I haven't confirmed 
> that by reading the code.

I have not either.  That doesn't worry me, it's not the kind of thing Daniel
would foo up and not likely to bit-rot either.

All the things you say are congruent with my understanding, but you should
check with Daniel because the protocol-engine rewrite was him.

> The question that got me here is the nopeer restrict option.  Do we need it 
> any more?  I think we no longer setup any unsolicited peers.  The pool code 
> used to do that, but not any more.  I think the peer command on another 
> server used to do that, but I'm pretty sure we don't do that any more.
> 
> Related, there is a table or two that used to be needed to handle received 
> packets.  I think we can simplify things by bypassing them, but that depends 
> on understanding what packets we allow.

You are probably right about all of this, but it edges into areas where my
grasp of the operation of the code is weak.

I think it is a *very* good thing you are turning over these rocks and
encourage you to pursue. I rate the odds that no actual pooches have
been screwed pretty high, but due diligence by someone who isn't
carrying my assumptions - or Daniel's - is definitely called for.
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		<a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>

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