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NTPD(8) 		     System Manager's Manual			 NTPD(8)

NAME
     ntpd -- Network Time Protocol daemon

SYNOPSIS
     ntpd [-dnv] [-f file] [-p file]

DESCRIPTION
     The  ntpd	daemon	synchronizes  the  local clock to one or more remote NTP
     servers or local timedelta sensors.  ntpd can also act as an NTP server it-
     self, redistributing the local time.  It implements the Simple Network Time
     Protocol version 4, as described in RFC 5905, and the Network Time Protocol
     version 3, as described in RFC 1305.  Time can also  be  fetched  from  TLS
     HTTPS servers to reduce the impact of unauthenticated NTP man-in-the-middle
     attacks.

     The options are as follows:

     -d 	 Do  not  daemonize.  If this option is specified, ntpd will run
		 in the foreground and log to stderr.

     -f file	 Use file as the configuration	file,  instead	of  the  default
		 /usr/local/etc/ntpd.conf.

     -n 	 Configtest  mode.  Only check the configuration file for valid-
		 ity.

		 ntpd will stay in the foreground for up to 15	seconds  waiting
		 for one of the configured NTP servers to reply.

     -v 	 This option allows ntpd to send DEBUG priority messages to sys-
		 log.

     -p file	 Write pid to file

     ntpd uses the adjtime(2) system call to correct the local system time with-
     out  causing  time jumps.	Adjustments of 32ms and greater are logged using
     syslog(3).  The threshold value is chosen to avoid having local clock drift
     thrash the log files.  Should ntpd be started with the -d or -v option, all
     calls to adjtime(2) will be logged.

     ntpd makes efforts to verify and correct the time at  boot  if  constraints
     are  configured  and  satisfied or if trusted servers or sensors return re-
     sults, and if the clock is not being moved backwards.

     After the local clock is synchronized, ntpd adjusts the clock frequency us-
     ing the ntp_adjtime(2) system call to compensate for systematic drift.

     ntpd is usually started at  boot  time,  and  can	be  enabled  by  setting
     openntpd_flags in /etc/rc.conf.  See rc(8) and rc.conf(5) for more informa-
     tion on the boot process and enabling daemons.

     When  ntpd  starts up, it reads settings from its configuration file, typi-
     cally ntpd.conf(5), and its initial clock	drift  from  /var/db/ntpd.drift.
     Clock drift is periodically written to the drift file thereafter.

FILES
     /usr/local/etc/ntpd.conf	  Default configuration file.
     /var/db/ntpd.drift 	  Drift file.
     /var/run/ntpd.sock 	  Socket file for communication with ntpctl(8).

SEE ALSO
     date(1),  adjtime(2),  ntp_adjtime(2), ntpd.conf(5), rc.conf(5), ntpctl(8),
     rc(8), rdate(8)

STANDARDS
     David L. Mills, Network Time Protocol (Version 3): Specification, Implemen-
     tation and Analysis, RFC 1305, March 1992.

     David L. Mills, Jim Martin, Jack Burbank, and William Kasch,  Network  Time
     Protocol  Version	4: Protocol and Algorithms Specification, RFC 5905, June
     2010.

HISTORY
     The ntpd program first appeared in OpenBSD 3.6.

FreeBSD ports 15.quarterly	November 11, 2019			 NTPD(8)

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