time and date

[JD]

On 01/16/2013 10:45 AM, Tom H wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 12:30 PM, JD <jd1008 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 01/16/2013 09:12 AM, Tom H wrote:
>>> On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 10:45 AM, Oliver Grawert <ogra at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>>>> Am Mittwoch, den 16.01.2013, 08:29 -0600 schrieb Cybe R. Wizard:
>>>>> On Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:04:22 +0100
>>>>> Oliver Grawert <ogra at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I think ntp is a daemon and set of utilities, not a server:
>>>>>
>>>>> (ntp)
>>>>> "This package contains the NTP daemon and utility programs.  An NTP
>>>>> daemon needs to be running on each host that is to have its clock
>>>>> accuracy controlled by NTP. ...  An NTP
>>>>> daemon needs to be running on each host that is to have its clock
>>>>> accuracy controlled by NTP."
>>>>>
>>>>> One would run it in order to have the correct time set on their
>>>>> computer.  Why would one /not/ want it on a default installation?
>>>>>
>>>>> that said, there /is/ ntpdate, but it says, "ntpdate by itself is
>>>>> useful for occasionally setting the time on machines that do not have
>>>>> full-time network access, such as laptops," so, unless the b ox is
>>>>> connected full time, ntp.
>>>> ntpd runs constantly, occupying constant resources, it opens a listening
>>>> port to the outside world by default which opens a possible attack
>>>> vector ...
>>>>
>>>> ntpdate simply syncs with ntp.ubuntu.com once you establish a network
>>>> connection, unless you have a bad BIOS battery i doubt you will ever
>>>> need ntp installed on a laptop/desktop to keep your clock correct.
>>>>
>>>> note that ntp is installed by default on ubuntu-server installs ...
>>> ntpdate has been deprecated. It's better to use "ntpd -q" (without
>>> running ntpd as a daemon).
>> What's the use if it is not run as a daemon?
>> If it dies and never gets auto restarted, then heavy system load
>> will make the clock lag behind.
> I prefer that ntpd runs as a daemon. I wasn't arguing one way or
> another; I was just pointing out that ntpd can be substituted for
> ntpdate. AFAIR ntpdate has been deprecated because development effort
> was/is focused on ntpd and ntpdate hasn't been maintained.
>
> I don't think that running ntpd is such a strain on resources that it
> shouldn't be installed by default on both desktops and servers. The
> problem with ntp is that, on Debian and Ubuntu, it's both a client and
> a server by default.
>
>
Fine!
It is a no big deal to shut down INCOMING time and date requests
via the firewall. The issue of security is extremely minimal and also
trivial to handle via firewall.