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Configure a Linux server as an NTP client by installing a time-synchronisation daemon, pointing it at the NTP Pool, restarting the daemon, and checking its status. For a new installation, chrony is usually the simplest path:
pool pool.ntp.org iburst
driftfile /var/lib/chrony/drift
makestep 1 3
rtcsyncSave those directives in the distribution’s chrony configuration file, restart the chrony service, then run chronyc tracking and chronyc sources -v. If the host runs ntpd instead, use the current pool pool.ntp.org iburst directive where supported, restart ntpd, and verify with ntpq -pn.
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NTP (Network Time Protocol) keeps a computer’s system clock aligned with reference clocks reached over the network. On a Linux server, an NTP daemon runs continuously as a client: it contacts remote time sources, estimates the local clock’s error and rate, and gradually corrects the clock. Accurate time matters to log ordering, TLS certificate checks, authentication systems, scheduled jobs, distributed databases, monitoring, and incident investigation.
This guide configures the server to obtain time from the NTP Pool Project. It does not automatically turn the machine into a time server for other hosts. Synchronising this host and serving time to clients are separate roles. A client-only configuration is the safer default for an ordinary Internet-connected server.
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The NTP Pool is DNS-backed. Names such as pool.ntp.org resolve to multiple public NTP servers, and the returned addresses can change. The project states that 0.pool.ntp.org through 3.pool.ntp.org point to a random set of servers that changes every hour. A daemon therefore needs a pool-aware configuration rather than a permanently fixed address list.
Choose chrony or ntpd before editing files
Linux distributions differ in which daemon they install by default. Do not run two independent NTP daemons at the same time: they can compete to control the system clock. Identify the active implementation, then edit only its configuration.
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| Decision point | chrony | ntpd |
|---|---|---|
| Typical role in a modern distribution | Common default or readily available package; confirm the distribution’s package and unit names. | Legacy or compatibility implementation on some systems; confirm that the ntpd package and service are installed. |
| Dynamic NTP Pool configuration | Use the pool directive, ideally pool pool.ntp.org iburst. |
NTP 4.2.7 and later has an improved pool implementation; older installations commonly use numbered server lines. |
| Usual configuration path | /etc/chrony/chrony.conf on many distributions; some use /etc/chrony.conf. |
/etc/ntp.conf or the equivalent path chosen by the distribution. |
| Restart and query tools | Restart the chrony unit, then use chronyc tracking and chronyc sources -v. |
Restart the ntpd unit, then use ntpq -pn. |
| Client versus server | The snippets in this guide are client configuration only. | The snippets in this guide are client configuration only; serving other hosts requires deliberate access restrictions. |
If you are unsure which daemon is active, inspect the service list and installed packages using your distribution’s normal service and package-management tools. Stop or disable a competing daemon before enabling the one you intend to use.
Prepare the host
Install the daemon supplied by your distribution
Install the chrony package for the chrony procedure or the ntpd package for the ntpd procedure. Package names, service-unit names and configuration paths vary by distribution and release, so use the package and unit name documented by your operating system. Ensure the selected service is enabled so it starts after a reboot.
Check network and firewall prerequisites
The daemon must be able to resolve the pool name through DNS and send and receive NTP traffic. NTP uses UDP port 123. A local firewall or upstream egress policy that blocks outbound UDP/123 will prevent synchronisation even when the configuration is correct. DNS filtering that returns no usable pool addresses causes the same symptom.
Back up the existing configuration
Before changing a file, make a dated copy. Keep the backup outside the active configuration path or give it a name that the daemon will not load as an additional configuration file. A backup lets you restore distribution defaults if another service, local policy or monitoring integration depends on them.
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Configure chrony with the NTP Pool
1. Open the correct file
Edit /etc/chrony/chrony.conf when that path exists. Some distributions use /etc/chrony.conf instead. Preserve unrelated local settings unless they conflict with the public server lines you are replacing.
2. Add the pool and supporting directives
Place the following directives in the active chrony configuration:
pool pool.ntp.org iburst
driftfile /var/lib/chrony/drift
makestep 1 3
rtcsyncEach line has a distinct purpose:
| Directive | Purpose | Operational effect |
|---|---|---|
pool pool.ntp.org iburst |
Defines a DNS name representing multiple NTP servers. | Chrony resolves the pool and maintains client associations as the DNS-backed membership changes. The iburst option sends a burst of requests to speed initial synchronisation. |
driftfile /var/lib/chrony/drift |
Persists chrony’s estimate of the local clock’s rate error. | The daemon can start with a useful estimate instead of relearning the clock’s drift from zero after every restart. |
makestep 1 3 |
Allows a large correction during early operation. | When the initial error is greater than one second, chrony may step the clock during its first three updates rather than waiting for a slow gradual correction. This is intended for startup recovery, not continual clock jumping. |
rtcsync |
Keeps the hardware real-time clock aligned with system time where supported by Linux. | Chrony periodically copies the synchronised system clock to the hardware clock so a reboot starts closer to the correct time. |
Chrony’s documentation recommends the pool directive when one name represents several servers that may change over time. Do not expand the pool into a static list merely to reproduce addresses seen in a DNS lookup.
3. Remove or disable conflicting public-server lines
Many distributions ship example server or pool lines. If you leave unrelated public sources enabled, chrony may use them in addition to the NTP Pool. That can be intentional, but for a predictable NTP Pool setup, comment out or remove conflicting public-server entries and retain the sources you actually intend to trust. Keep any locally required reference source only when you understand why it is present.
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Changing the file does not reload every setting automatically. Restart the service with the unit name used by your distribution. Common unit names are chrony and chronyd:
sudo systemctl restart chrony
sudo systemctl restart chronydRun only the command matching an installed unit; a “unit not found” message means that name is not the one your distribution uses. If the service is not enabled yet, enable it with the corresponding unit so it starts at boot.
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5. Verify synchronisation
Use chrony’s query utility immediately after the restart and again after the daemon has had time to contact several sources:
chronyc tracking
chronyc sources -vchronyc tracking reports the daemon’s overall state, including whether the local clock is synchronised and the current offset estimate. chronyc sources -v lists the sources chrony is considering. Look for a selected source and an offset that is small and decreasing as updates arrive. Report the output you actually observe rather than assuming a fixed convergence time; network reachability, source response and the size of the initial clock error all affect it.
Configure current ntpd with the NTP Pool
Use the pool directive when the implementation supports it
NTP 4.2.7 and later includes an improved implementation of the pool directive. In a current ntpd configuration, add:
pool pool.ntp.org iburstThe directive creates persistent client-mode associations to multiple remote servers represented by the pool name. Because the pool’s DNS answers change, ntpd can replace associations as membership changes instead of treating one resolved address as permanent.
Use numbered server lines for older ntpd installations
The NTP Pool Project publishes this compatibility configuration for implementations that do not have the improved pool support:
driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift
server 0.pool.ntp.org
server 1.pool.ntp.org
server 2.pool.ntp.org
server 3.pool.ntp.orgThe numbered names point to random server sets that change every hour. They remain useful for older ntpd versions, but the current pool directive is preferable when your ntpd version supports it.
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Edit, restart and query ntpd
Edit /etc/ntp.conf or the equivalent file selected by your distribution. Keep the drift-file line and replace example public servers with either the supported pool directive or the numbered compatibility lines. Restart the ntpd service using the unit name installed on the host, commonly ntp or ntpd:
sudo systemctl restart ntp
sudo systemctl restart ntpdThen inspect the peer table:
ntpq -pnThe command shows the configured or discovered peers, reachability and selection state. A usable result should show reachable pool peers and one selected source after the daemon has exchanged enough packets. If the table is empty or every peer is unreachable, troubleshoot DNS, UDP/123 access, service state and configuration syntax before changing servers.
Choose the right NTP Pool zone
pool.ntp.org is the global pool name. The project also provides regional and continental zones where capacity is available. A country zone may be unavailable or may have very few participating servers. When the project’s zone information indicates that a country zone is sparse or unavailable, a continental zone is a better choice than forcing a low-capacity country name.
Use a zone that is geographically sensible for the host’s network location, but do not assume that geographic proximity guarantees better time. The pool is dynamic, and each DNS response can return different participating servers. Keep at least three usable sources for reliable operation; chrony’s FAQ specifically recommends at least three servers.
When changing zones, alter only the pool name in the daemon configuration, restart the daemon, and verify the new source set with the daemon’s query tool. Do not hard-code addresses obtained from one DNS response, because those addresses are expected to change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Client-only configuration versus serving time
The examples above make the Linux server an NTP client. They do not grant permission for other machines to query it, and they do not configure it as an authoritative source. This distinction matters because an Internet-facing NTP service can be abused for reflection and amplification traffic.
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If the host must serve time to an internal network, treat that as a separate design. Define which networks are allowed, apply the daemon’s access restrictions, limit exposure with the host firewall, and monitor the service. Do not copy server-mode examples into a client-only setup. In particular, do not expose an Internet-facing ntpd instance without the access restrictions required by the implementation and your network policy.
Troubleshoot a host that is not synchronising
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The service will not start after editing. | Syntax error, wrong file path, invalid directive or a second daemon already running. | Check the service status and logs, confirm which configuration path the unit loads, validate the edited lines, and stop the competing daemon before restarting. |
chronyc sources -v shows no usable source. |
DNS cannot resolve the pool, outbound UDP/123 is blocked, or the pool servers are unreachable from this network. | Test DNS resolution, verify firewall and egress policy for UDP/123, then rerun the query after restarting chrony. |
ntpq -pn lists peers but none is selected. |
Peers have not responded sufficiently, the initial offset is large, or packets are filtered. | Check reachability and system time, confirm that the configured pool or numbered names are correct, and allow the daemon time to collect responses. Do not infer success from names alone; use the peer state shown by ntpq. |
| The clock is still far off immediately after boot. | The daemon has not completed initial exchanges, the drift file is missing or unwritable, or startup correction is not configured. | For chrony, verify the drift-file path, makestep 1 3, and iburst. For ntpd, verify the drift-file path and peer reachability, then inspect the query output. |
| Time appears to jump unexpectedly. | A startup step corrected a large initial error. | Check whether the correction occurred during the allowed startup updates. A one-time startup correction is different from repeated jumps during normal operation; repeated changes indicate unstable sources, a broken clock or another process adjusting time. |
| Sources change between checks. | This is normal pool behavior: DNS-backed membership is dynamic and the numbered pool names can change hourly. | Use the daemon’s pool-aware directive and judge health by synchronisation and reachability, not by expecting permanent server addresses. |
| The host synchronises, but another machine cannot use it. | Client synchronisation does not configure service to downstream clients. | Design and secure a separate server role with explicit network permissions and access restrictions. |
Operational checks after every change
- Confirm that only one NTP implementation is controlling the host.
- Confirm that the active configuration contains a pool-aware source and a persistent drift-file directive.
- Restart the correct service unit after saving the file.
- Run the implementation’s query tool:
chronyc trackingandchronyc sources -vfor chrony, orntpq -pnfor ntpd. - Confirm that at least one source is selected and reachable, then watch the reported offset become small and stable.
- After a reboot, repeat the query and verify that the daemon starts automatically and the hardware clock is being maintained when
rtcsyncis supported and enabled.
Keep the configuration under change control, record which daemon and pool zone are in use, and retain the output from a successful verification. That record makes later troubleshooting faster when a distribution upgrade changes package defaults, service names or configuration locations.
Recommended configuration at a glance
Chrony
pool pool.ntp.org iburst
driftfile /var/lib/chrony/drift
makestep 1 3
rtcsyncRestart the distribution’s chrony service and verify with chronyc tracking and chronyc sources -v.
Current ntpd
driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift
pool pool.ntp.org iburstUse this form when the installed ntpd is version 4.2.7 or later and supports the improved pool implementation. Restart ntpd and verify with ntpq -pn.
Older ntpd compatibility form
driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift
server 0.pool.ntp.org
server 1.pool.ntp.org
server 2.pool.ntp.org
server 3.pool.ntp.orgUse the numbered lines when the installed ntpd lacks the improved pool directive. The names resolve to changing random server sets, so permanent addresses should not be expected.
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