[time-admin] No warning on ntpdate errors

[Michal Kaut]

In Xubuntu, there is no warning if all the configured NTP servers are unreachable.
Even if I open the "Time and Date Settings", change the Configuration to 'Manual' and press the "Synchronize Now", there is no information that the connection failed - so the user will (incorrectly) assume that the update has finished successfully.

ditro: Xubuntu 8.10
package: gnome-system-tools 2.22.1-0ubuntu1
expect: on manual sync with NTP servers, expect info/warning it the connection fails
instead: no warning, i.e. the process ends in the same way as if it connected and the time was OK

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thank you for reporting this issue. I need a little more information, though.
1. Were you connected to the internet (firefox or email working, ping working)?
2. Can you tell me, step-by-step, how to reproduce this issue?

[Robert Citek (robert-citek)]

I am having the same issue with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

Here's what I did:

0) Check the current time: http://www.google.com/search?q=time+detroit+mi
1) Click System > Administration > Time and Date
2) Click Unlock and enter my password
3) Time zone: America/New_York
4) Configuration: Keep synchronized ...
5) Select Servers: check wuarchive.wustl.edu
6) Click Close

End result: no error and no change to time.

Try two - manual:

1) Click System > Administration > Time and Date
2) Click Unlock and enter my password
3) Time zone: America/New_York
4) Configuration: Manual
5) Click Synchronize Now (the swirly icon to the right of the time)

End result: no error and no change to time.

Try three - the command line:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/ntp stop ; sudo ntpdate wuarchive.wustl.edu ; sudo
/etc/init.d/ntp start
 * Stopping NTP server ntpd [ OK ]
23 Aug 13:55:16 ntpdate[10661]: no server suitable for synchronization found
 * Starting NTP server ntpd [ OK ]

Now it is apparent that wuarchive.wustl.edu is not suitable. Change to a different server:

1) Click System > Administration > Time and Date
2) Click Unlock and enter my password
3) Time zone: America/New_York
4) Configuration: Keep synchronized ...
5) Select Servers: check clock.psu.edu
6) Click Close

Time is synchronized almost immediately. I now have the right time.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thank you for reporting this bug. I can reproduce it in Ubuntu 9.10 following the report from Robert. Unfortunately, Lucid at this time simply restarts when told to sync to the ntp server. 9.10 does not show any indication that the server is unavailable.

Since this bug has enough information provided for a developer to begin work, I'm going to mark it as confirmed and let them handle it from here. Thanks for taking the time to make Ubuntu better!

[Matthew East (mdke)]

Please don't assign bugs to Ubuntu Drivers.