ntpd fills syslog with permissions errors

[Adam Petaccia]

Binary package hint: ntp

If I open up system log viewer, under system, daemon, and messages, there's a whole lot of

Mar 15 12:07:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:08:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:09:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:10:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:11:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:12:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:13:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:14:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:15:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:16:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:17:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:18:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:19:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:20:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:21:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:22:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!
Mar 15 12:23:26 uncgmighmos ntpd_initres[9503]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!

[Lafa (luis-alves)]

I see the same on my log, in feisty wiht latest updates.
Apr 1 15:02:07 shuttle ntpd_initres[6526]: ntpd returns a permission denied error!

[Patrick Pletscher (pat-pletscher)]

I can confirm that, too with Feisty Fawn final. I removed all but the ntp.ubuntu.com server, but the above mentioned error messages still appears.

[Sam Morris (yrro)]

This sounds similar to #50406--can you confirm?

Reporters/reproducers, can you please check if ntpd was started when your system was *not* able to contact the Internet?

If so, try stopping ntpd, then manually killing any remaining ntpd processes, then connecting to the Internet and finally starting ntpd again, to see if it starts to work?

If ntpd then works, try disconnecting from the Internet and restarting ntpd, and see if the bug reoccurs.

[feisty_hot_lover (feisty-hot-lover-deactivatedaccount)]

For Sam Morris, I got the same permission denied error. I tried your instructions although I found them confusing I think I got it. I have a ADSL connection so I was connected already. Per your instructions I stopped NTPD using "sudo /etc/init.d/ntp stop" then I proceeded to kill all remaining NTP processes. I restarted NTPD using "sudo /etc/init.d/ntp start". Now looking at my logs I no longer see the "ntpd returns a permission denied error!". So what gives, should I stop and restart NTPD every time I reboot my computer or can I safely ignore the permission denied error. My clock even with the error still synchronizes. Not sure what to do, will this be fixed in 7.04 or 7.10? Thanks anyway for the instructions as it gets rid of the errors.

[Sam Morris (yrro)]

Well, assuming that this is a dupe of bug #50406 (which seems likely) try using the same config that Debian ships (that fixed this problem in Debian). I'm attaching my config.

[feisty_hot_lover (feisty-hot-lover-deactivatedaccount)]

Thanks Sam Morris the Debian config worked. I compared the differences and added the Debian changes.

[Janne Hyötylä (janne-hyotyla)]

I can confirm this on Feisty.

Since I have both the symptoms described here and in #50406 I suppose it has the same cause?
Don't know if you needed another confirmation or if this is already fixed, but since this report is still "Unconfirmed" and "Undecided".

Attached are maybe some relevant lines from syslog, I don't know if these are enough to determine if ntpd is started before networking (the interface is eth0 and gets its IP address per DHCP). If you need some more lines, please ask.

I left everything out that didn't concern networking; also all avahi-daemon messages were left out.