there is no easy way to edit/include servers for NTP to sync from like it used to

[PresuntoRJ]

Binary package hint: ntp

Up to Maverick, when I needed to adjust my NTP daemon where I wanted it to sync from, I could go to the Preferences/Date and time application and add or remove addresses from there (it would then reflect on my /etc/ntp.conf from then on) but now, there is no GUI for that... it simply lets me turn it on or off... the list, preset with pretty sane ntp providers, seemes OK, but one could want to sync to its local server, and had to go back to console and vim the conf file (not a issue for me, but... I believe it was a step back on Natty)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: ntp 1:4.2.6.p2+dfsg-1ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic-pae 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic-pae i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Apr 10 06:23:57 2011
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
KernLog:

ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=pt_BR:en
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 LC_MESSAGES=pt_BR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature_: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic-pae 2.6.38.2
SourcePackage: ntp
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-04-10 (0 days ago)
mtime.conffile..etc.ntp.conf: 2011-04-10T01:02:40.958183

[PresuntoRJ (fabio-tleitao)]

I am considering this a regression, am I right?

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Redirecting to indicator-datetime as this isn't really related to the ntp package, which is just the plumbing that queries the servers.

[Aaron Wells (aaronwells)]

I don't think this bug is a strict duplicate of 733028. That one is about the inability to click a button to immediately sync up your local machine's time with the time from an NTP server. This ticket is about the lack of a GUI to configure which NTP servers you are connecting to, an issue that 733028 doesn't mention at all.

[John Lea (johnlea)]

Hi MPT, could you talk a look at this bug, thx!

[NoOp (glgxg)]

Same issue in 12.04:
$ apt-cache policy indicator-datetime
indicator-datetime:
  Installed: 0.3.94-0ubuntu2
  Candidate: 0.3.94-0ubuntu2
  Version table:
 *** 0.3.94-0ubuntu2 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

The only way to add/modify ntp servers (that I can find) is to modify /etc/ntp.conf directly. For example, to change the default ntp servers, I need to edit /etc/ntp.conf directly:

# Use servers from the NTP Pool Project. Approved by Ubuntu Technical Board
# on 2011-02-08 (LP: #104525). See http://www.pool.ntp.org/join.html for
# more information.
# server 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org
# server 1.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org
# server 2.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org
# server 3.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org

Change to:

server 0.us.pool.ntp.org
server 1.us.pool.ntp.org
server 2.us.pool.ntp.org
server 3.us.pool.ntp.org

Previously there was an option to change servers from the GUI:
<https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuTime>
(note: ignore the fact that the page is out of date, I'm only pointing to it to show the previous way ntp servers could be selected/added)

Why would I consider changing from the Ubuntu default?
$ ntpq -p 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org
     remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset jitter
==============================================================================
-ns1.your-site.c 108.59.14.130 3 u 147 1024 377 32.085 -5.194 1.320
+vpn.cumquat.nl 193.79.237.14 2 u 202 1024 377 110.477 -0.399 0.653
*ccadmin.cycores 130.207.244.240 2 u 46 1024 377 43.570 -0.138 0.346
+ntp2.ResComp.Be 128.32.206.55 2 u 527 1024 377 67.516 -0.816 0.919

None of those servers are in the US (my location).