Canonical System Image

ntpdate fails with invalid argument when device is set to a date in the future (delta > 2^16)

Bug #1526264 reported by Jean-Baptiste Lallement on 2015-12-15

This bug affects 1 person

	Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
Canonical System Image	Fix Released	High	Unassigned	Canonical System Image 10 "OTA10"
ntp (Ubuntu)	Fix Released	High	Łukasz Zemczak
ntp (Ubuntu RTM)	Fix Released	High	Unassigned

Bug Description

current build number: 204
device name: krillin
channel: ubuntu-touch/rc-proposed/bq-aquaris.en

when the current date of the device is in the future, ntpdate fails with 'Invalid Argument'

For example:

* current date: passed
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# date
mardi 15 décembre 2015, 12:01:22 (UTC+0100)
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# ntpdate ntp.ubuntu.com
15 Dec 12:01:38 ntpdate[4360]: adjust time server 91.189.94.4 offset 0.000150 sec

* Date in the past: passed
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# date -s '2015-12-14 13:00:00'
lundi 14 décembre 2015, 13:00:00 (UTC+0100)
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# ntpdate ntp.ubuntu.com
15 Dec 12:03:02 ntpdate[5008]: step time server 91.189.89.199 offset 82943.900852 sec

* Date in the future: Failed
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# date -s '2015-12-16 13:00:00'
mercredi 16 décembre 2015, 13:00:00 (UTC+0100)
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# ntpdate ntp.ubuntu.com
16 Dec 13:00:10 ntpdate[4820]: Can't adjust the time of day: Invalid argument

After some experimentation, ntpdate fails if the difference between the current time on the device and the real time is bigger than 2^16 (65536)

= Workaround =
Use option -b

root@ubuntu-phablet:~# date -s '2015-12-16 13:00:00'
mercredi 16 décembre 2015, 13:00:00 (UTC+0100)
root@ubuntu-phablet:~# ntpdate -b ntp.ubuntu.com
15 Dec 12:07:08 ntpdate[7083]: step time server 91.189.94.4 offset -89602.883248 sec

See original description

Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) on 2015-12-15

Changed in canonical-devices-system-image:
importance:	Undecided → High
description:	updated

Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) on 2015-12-15

description:	updated
summary:	ntpdate fails with invalid argument when device is set to a date in the - future + future (delta > 2^16)
Changed in canonical-devices-system-image:
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Alfonso Sanchez-Beato (alfonsosanchezbeato) wrote on 2016-02-22:

ntpdate-fix-lp1526264.patch Edit (757 bytes, text/plain)

Mathew Hodson (mhodson) on 2016-02-22

Changed in ntp (Ubuntu):
importance:	Undecided → High

Revision history for this message

Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100) wrote on 2016-02-24:

Alfonso also told me this patch has been forwarded upstream: http://bugs.ntp.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3023

I'm not an expert in ntp, but the change makes sense to me. Will be sponsoring this change in that case.

Changed in ntp (Ubuntu RTM):
importance:	Undecided → High
Changed in ntp (Ubuntu):
assignee:	nobody → Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)

Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) on 2016-02-24

Changed in canonical-devices-system-image:
status:	Confirmed → Fix Committed
milestone:	none → ww08-2016

Revision history for this message

Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100) wrote on 2016-02-24:

This bug was fixed in the package ntp 1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu6.4~overlay1 in https://launchpad.net/~ci-train-ppa-service/+archive/ubuntu/stable-phone-overlay

---------------

ntp (1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu6.4~overlay1) vivid; urgency=medium

* Fix cannot correct dates in the future (LP: #1526264)

-- Simon Fels <email address hidden> Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:49:16 +0100

Changed in ntp (Ubuntu RTM):
status:	New → Fix Released

Revision history for this message

Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote on 2016-02-24:

This bug was fixed in the package ntp - 1:4.2.8p4+dfsg-3ubuntu3

---------------
ntp (1:4.2.8p4+dfsg-3ubuntu3) xenial; urgency=medium

  * debian/patches/ntpdate-fix-lp1526264.patch:
    - Add Alfonso Sanchez-Beato's patch for fixing the cannot correct dates in
      the future bug (LP: #1526264)

-- Łukasz 'sil2100' Zemczak <email address hidden> Wed, 24 Feb 2016 12:29:32 +0100