[gentoo-amd64] Re: kernel config file for A8N-SLI Premium

[Duncan]

Steve Herber posted <Pine.LNX.4.64.0603140110330.17364@×××××.com>,
excerpted below,  on Tue, 14 Mar 2006 01:26:10 -0800:

> I have a nice new A8N-SLI Premium system and I have two problems with it.
> The second problem I have is that ntpd fails with the error:
>
> Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: ntpd 4.2.0a@1.1191-r Thu Feb 23
> 17:17:02 PST 2006 (1)
> Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: precision = 1.000 usec
> Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: Listening on interface wildcard,
> 0.0.0.0#123Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: Listening on interface lo,
> 127.0.0.1#123
> Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: Listening on interface eth1,
> 192.168.168.6#123
> Mar 13 08:41:54 fester ntpd[16778]: kernel time sync status 0040

A search of the ntp documentation (in /usr/doc/ntp-<ver>/html/*) for sync
status returns the error docs page.  It refers to timex.h from the ntp
sources tarball.  You probably have that tarball in your portage distdir. 
A quick look here at the file... exerpted:

/*
 * Status codes (timex.status)
 */
[snip]
#define STA_INS         0x0010  /* insert leap (rw) */
#define STA_DEL         0x0020  /* delete leap (rw) */
#define STA_UNSYNC      0x0040  /* clock unsynchronized (rw) */
#define STA_FREQHOLD    0x0080  /* hold frequency (rw) */

So... that would appear to simply say status unsynchronized.  Not a
problem as that's the way it's supposed to start.  In fact, I figured
that's what it meant, as mine always starts that way, but the status
changes, later.

Thus, either ntpd isn't failing after all, but still running and will
eventually sync, or if it's failing, the log as posted doesn't reveal why.

A couple suggestions.

1:  Check your timezone info.  If you have your clock set to local time
but the timezone is set to UTC, assuming you aren't /at/ UTC local time,
you'll be off by several hours and ntpd will normally refuse to touch the
clock untl you set it to something closer to what ntpd can grok.

2:  It's always best to run ntp-client as well as ntpd.  The init ordering
will order ntp-client before ntpd if they are both in the same initlevel,
which is what you want.  ntp-client does a quick-check and approximate
sync, stepping the clock as necessary to get it /close/ to the right time.
It is, however, a one-shot deal.  ntpd then takes over and makes fine
adjustments as necessary to sync the clock more closely, then tracks it to
ensure it stays synced.  By running ntp-client first, you ensure the clock
is close enough to correct that ntpd shouldn't protest.  It will still
start as status 0040, but will sync up, usually within 15 minutes or so.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman in
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/12/22/rms_interview.html


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