XNTPD(8) NetBSD System Manager's Manual XNTPD(8) NNAAMMEE xxnnttppdd - Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS xxnnttppdd [--aaAAbbddmm] [--cc _c_o_n_f_f_i_l_e] [--ff _d_r_i_f_t_f_i_l_e] [--kk _k_e_y_f_i_l_e] [--ll _l_o_g_f_i_l_e] [--pp _p_i_d_f_i_l_e] [--rr _b_r_o_a_d_c_a_s_t_d_e_l_a_y] [--ss _s_t_a_t_s_d_i_r] [--tt _k_e_y] [--vv _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e] [--VV _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e] DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN xxnnttppdd is an operating system daemon which sets and maintains the system time-of-day in synchronism with Internet standard time servers. xxnnttppdd is a complete implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) version 3, as defined by RFC-1305, but also retains compatibility with version 1 and 2 servers as defined by RFC-1059 and RFC-1119, respectively. xxnnttppdd does all computations in 64-bit fixed point arithmetic and requires no float- ing point support. While the ultimate precision of this design, about 232 picoseconds, is not achievable with ordinary workstations and networks of today, it may be required with future nanosecond CPU clocks and gigabit LANs. The daemon can operate in any of several modes, including symmetric ac- tive/passive, client/server and broadcast/multicast, as described in RFC-1305. A broadcast/multicast client can discover remote servers, com- pute server-client propagation delay correction factors and configure it- self automatically. This makes it possible to deploy a fleet of worksta- tions without specifying configuration details specific to the local en- vironment. Ordinarily, xxnnttppdd reads the _n_t_p_._c_o_n_f configuration file at startup time in order to determine the synchronization sources and operating modes. It is also possible to specify a working, although limited, configuration entirely on the command line, obviating the need for a configuration file. This may be particularly appropriate when the local host is to be configured as a broadcast or multicast client, with all peers being de- termined by listening to broadcasts at run time. Various internal xxnnttppdd variables can be displayed and configuration op- tions altered while the daemon is running using the ntpq(8) and xntpdc(8) utility programs. When xxnnttppdd starts it looks at the value of _u_m_a_s_k, and if it's zero xxnnttppdd will set _u_m_a_s_k to _0_2_2. The options are as follows: --aa Enable authentication mode. The default is enabled, so this op- tion is obsolete now. --AA Disable authentication mode. --bb Synchronize using NTP broadcast messages. --cc _c_o_n_f_f_i_l_e Specify the name and path of the configuration file. --dd Specify debugging mode. This flag may occur multiple times, with each occurrence indicating greater detail of display. --ff _d_r_i_f_t_f_i_l_e Specify the name and path of the drift file. --kk _k_e_y_f_i_l_e Specify the name and path of the file containing the NTP authen- tication keys. --ll _l_o_g_f_i_l_e Specify the name and path of the log file. The default is the system log facility. --mm Synchronize using NTP multicast messages on the IP multicast group address 224.0.1.1 (requires multicast kernel). --pp _p_i_d_f_i_l_e Specify the name and path to record the daemon's process ID. --rr _b_r_o_a_d_c_a_s_t_d_e_l_a_y Specify the default propagation delay from the broadcast/multi- cast server and this computer. This is used only if the delay cannot be computed automatically by the protocol. --ss _s_t_a_t_s_d_i_r Specify the directory path for files created by the statistics facility. --tt _k_e_y Add a key number to the trusted key list. --vv _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e Add a system variable. --VV _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e Add a system variable listed by default. TTHHEE CCOONNFFIIGGUURRAATTIIOONN FFIILLEE The xxnnttppdd configuration file is read at initial startup in order to spec- ify the synchronization sources, modes and other related information. Usually, it is installed in the _/_e_t_c directory, but could be installed elsewhere (see the ----cc _c_o_n_f_f_i_l_e command line option). The file format is similar to other Unix configuration files - comments begin with a _# char- acter and extend to the end of the line; blank lines are ignored. Con- figuration commands consist of an initial keyword followed by a list of arguments, some of which may be optional, separated by whitespace. Com- mands may not be continued over multiple lines. Arguments may be host names, host addresses written in numeric, dotted-quad form, integers, floating point numbers (when specifying times in seconds) and text strings. Optional arguments are delimited by [] in the following descrip- tions, while alternatives are separated by . The notation [ ... ] means an optional, indefinite repetition of the last item before the [ ... ]. See the following pages for configuration and control options. While there is a rich set of options available, the only required option is one or more _s_e_r_v_e_r_, _p_e_e_r or _b_r_o_a_d_c_a_s_t commands described in the _C_o_n_f_i_g_u_r_a_t_i_o_n _O_p_t_i_o_n_s page. The _N_o_t_e_s _o_n _C_o_n_f_i_g_u_r_i_n_g _N_T_P _a_n_d _S_e_t_t_i_n_g _u_p _a _N_T_P page con- tains an extended discussion of these options. FFIILLEESS /etc/ntp.conf the default name of the configuration file /etc/ntp.drift the default name of the drift file /etc/ntp.keys the default name of the key file BBUUGGSS xxnnttppdd has gotten rather fat. While not huge, it has gotten larger than might be desireable for an elevated-priority daemon running on a worksta- tion, particularly since many of the fancy features which consume the space were designed more with a busy primary server, rather than a high stratum workstation, in mind. AAUUTTHHOORR David L. Mills (mills@udel.edu)