Is ntpdate command dependent on ntpd?

UNIX Solaris
1

Hi,
Could someone Please clarify me here:

Is ntpdate command a part of ntpd, i mean does ntpdate command a dependent on ntpd? and can ntpdate be run in absence of ntpd service.

2
  • ntpdate is a seperate utility, complimentary to ntpdate
  • ntpdate is not directly dependant on ntpd; but it does require a time service
  • yes, ntpdate can be run without ntpd; but you need to point it to a time service. There are many public available (free) ones.
1 Like
3

OBTW, I forgot to mention, one of the most common uses of ntpdate is in the root crontab file, for example:

10 2 * * * /usr/sbin/ntpdate time.nist.gov > /dev/null 2>&1

From the shell:

root@myhost:~# ntpdate time.nist.gov 
 4 Dec 07:33:58 ntpdate[12496]: step time server 128.138.141.172 offset -17.447227 sec

Also, here is a site dedicated to helping you find a valid time server for your site:

4

Thanks Neo for your answer!!
for my better understnding , could you please list few of the time services which can support ntpdate command and are very commonly and frequently used.

5

Apparently ntpdate has been deprecated by 'ntpd -q'.

6

perhaps xntpd is better solution. I think its more advanced, doesn't rely on cron. it synchronizes time only when necessary, taking drift into account (or something like that).