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NTP Documentation

The NTP documentation is distributed as HTML only. There are no manpages or other forms of documentation for the project.

[ General Reference | setup and install | developer and advanced | additional documentation | other web sites ]

General Reference

• New users: WHERE-TO-START
• Introduction to NTP
• NTP FAQ - Not an install guide
• NTP Project and Reference Library
• Executive Summary - Computer Network Time Synchronization
• NTP Release numbering scheme
• Copyright Notice

Setup and Install - Client and Server

• Pre-compilation Configuration Options
• Building and Installing the Distribution
• Post-install troubleshooting
• Hints and Kinks
• The Public NTP Server list - Where to get time from
• More information - Server
  • Notes on Configuring NTP and Setting up a NTP Subnet
  • Reference Clock Drivers

Developer and advanced documentation

• NTP Version 4 Release Notes
• Patch Submission Policy and Procedures
• Porting Hints
• Mitigation Rules and the prefer Keyword
• Association Management
• Pulse-per-second (PPS) Signal Interfacing
• Gadget Box PPS Level Converter and CHU Modem
• Time and Time Interval Measurement with Application to Computer and Network Performance Evaluation
• Kernel Model for Precision Timekeeping
• Kernel Programming Interface for Precision Time Signals
• NTP Timescale and Leap Seconds

Additional information

• Application manual pages
  • ntpd - Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon
  • ntpq - standard NTP query program
  • ntpdc - special NTP query program
  • ntpdate - set the date and time via NTP
  • ntptrace - trace a chain of NTP servers back to the primary source
  • tickadj - set time-related kernel variables
  • ntptime - read kernel time variables
  • ntp-genkeys - generate public and private keys
• Protocol Conformance Statement
• Y2K statement
• Information on Time and Frequency Services
• Citations of clock sync literature
• Prof. Dave Mills Home Page - Head, NTP Research Lab.
• Internetworking/NTP Research Laboratory - NTP Development Lab, University of Delaware
• Bibliography on Computer Network Time Synchronization
• Information on time and frequency services - Links to NTP servers and reference clocks, NTP software and documentation, time and frequency standard stations operated by U.S. and other countries, and time and frequency standard station transmission data are available here.
• Network time synchronization (NTP) project - Background information about NTP, briefings, and a bibliography are available here.

Outside resources

• Linux Clock mini-HOWTO
• NTP cookbook
• comp.protocols.time.ntp newsgroup
• Sun Blueprints - PDF Format
  • Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part I: Introduction to NTP
  • Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part II: Basic NTP Administration and Architecture
  • Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks - Part III: NTP Monitoring and Troubleshooting