Hi

I'm trying to setup a network time server. I got ntp-4.2.0-2 downloaded, but I'm not sure how to install it. I tryed ./configure, my screen was full of things happenig.Was this all I'm supose to do? I'm not sure how to enter my info in the ntp.conf file. We are using a proxy server and I dont know where to enter that so that it will synchronize with one of the time servers on the net.

Please help me??
Thanks

you are not done compiling it.

.config creates a makefile according to your machine's archetecture.

Now run make and then when that is done, run
make install

I'll assume the last post told you how to install.
(Different distros have different install procedures).

I use Debian (apt-get ... which would save you needing
to compile)
Red-Hat (rpm -- which also doesn't require compilation)
and
Gentoo (emerge).

Don't know what you're using.

Once you think you have ntp, simply try (as root)
ntpd.

It uses file /etc/ntp.conf (And you need to put some
time-servers into ntp.conf, for you, you want the lines
server 0.pool.ntp.org
server 1.pool.ntp.org
server 2.pool.ntp.org

Then read up and find some servers in Africa. (The defaults are all over the globe)

Once it's working, do
ntpq -p. You'll get the following:

remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset
jitter
==============================================================================
*63.247.194.250 132.163.4.102 2 u 52 64 377 29.358 623564. 3.074
+cisco1-mhk.kans 128.252.19.1 2 u 47 64 377 97.555 623573. 4.563
+dewey.lib.ci.ph 129.7.1.66 2 u 53 64 377 31.825 623564. 2.189
LOCAL(0) LOCAL(0) 13 l 49 64 377 0.000 0.000 0.001

* Means current favorite + means computer thinks server is OK.
refid -- Source of where that server is getting time (could read GPS).
st -- Stratum (Tier 2 is good)
poll -- How many seconds between polls. Increases over time as accuracy
improves.
delay -- Time in seconds to get an answer
offset -- Error in time (in millisec ... thus 623564 is 623.564 seconds).


For good docs on NTP, try http://tldp.org/HOWTO/TimePrecision-HOWTO/ntp.html

Thanks I'll try it. I'm using Fedora Core 2.

I don't know how much of a newbie you are.

Perhaps you don't know about rpm's yet? (stand's for "RedHat Package Manager").

rpm's are an attempt to make Linux apps as easy to install as Windows apps. (And they work.)

You find an rpm for your machine and Distro (rpmfind.net), then rpm -i to install it.
That's it. No compiling, no makefiles. It just works. (Of course you have to run rpm
as root.).

rpm's are unique to RedHat and Fedora Core, which you are using.

So if you still have install problems with ntpd, find an ntpd.rpm out on the net.

I know I am coming into this conversation a little late, but...

I have a question about ntpq -p. I am on FC2 with all the latest updates, and all that does is return "Name or service not known" - I know that ntpd is running. service ntpd restart yields a restart with no errors.

am I missing something?

Did you set up /etc/ntp.conf? That is where you add the time servers names.

ntp.conf is set up. I need to know why ntpq does not return any data.