ntpdate installed but time differs from nrc official?

[David Armour]

>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> David Armour wrote:
>> hello,
> [snip]
>> unfortunately, once i'd selected 'synchronize with internet servers 
>> now' and watched my desktop clock changing back three minutes, i 
>> thought i might as well press the 'periodically synchronize with 
>> internet servers' button. unfortunately, that seemed to lock up the 
>> system, requiring a crtl-alt-backspace salute!
>
> To sync the time accurately, ntp programs seem to dominate the 
> machine, and can appear to hang. Your screensaver can get confused, 
> thinking you've had extra inactivity, and this may cause apparent (or 
> real?) hang. Do file a bug if you can reproduce it. It may also take 
> some time, so be patient, even if it appears to hang. Can you ssh to 
> the machine from elsewhere while 'hung?'
>

thank you for your reply.

for the most part, i've been v. happy with all things ubuntu. the time 
display's one of those things that can seem trivial, until you look a 
little further, at least as far as i understand it (not far, really). 
lots o' things inside the wee box, though, depend on an accurate 
timestamp. the shutdown script's another thing that doesn't seem to work 
as expected.

when i started noticing, for instance, that the cbc news was coming on 
several minutes past when my watch (synch'd to the computer's supposedly 
ntp'd clock) said it should, i began to flail about looking for howto 
get the ntp to synch up. i found the 'date & time' option, of course, 
*after* i'd asked my original question, and after i'd already downloaded 
and installed the ntp-server and ntp-doc thingies. my only other issue 
with this particular ubuntu revolves around the screensaver, and 
"issue"'s probably too strong a word. more of a niggle, really. (i 
really liked franz melchior's clock screensaver in kde, mostly 'cause i 
can see it on the screen, from my bathroom...) i've seen traffic on the 
lists to the effect that gnome's screensaver bugs others a bit as well.

but if i had to say if the lock-up was a lock-up or a screensaver hang, 
well, it looked and sounded like a lock-up, at least to these newbie 
eyes. although it tracked movements, the mouse screen cursor stopped 
didn't respond to left-/right-clicks. i couldn't switch desktops, or 
make selections from the menu. when i ctrl-alt-backspace'd outta there, 
i went to the ubuntu log-in screen. it's been several years now since i 
ssh'd anywhere, but i'm guessing here, that i'd ctrl-alt-Fn# to an 
alternate console? i don't know what to do from that point though.

i'm more concerned at the moment with the shutdown option not working. i 
recall some early 6.06 traffic that mentioned that problem.

thanks again for your help.