Sorry if I've missed the option, but it would be handy if you could enter NTP server(s) from the GUI. Otherwise I have a script in /etc/init.d/ with the ntpd command syncing at startup.
Russ. WL7AG
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It should be noted that time on a node is currently fully cosmetic.
No function of node operation is currently dependent upon time being accurate and the nodes do not serve time to local networks so there is no dependency on time.
The node should set its time automatically however if it has Internet (minus a possible small bug of missing ntpclient in the beta 01 build)
Funny part is commenting out just a few lines of code (time on main page) and most mesh users would not even know there was any time keeping on a node backend.
I've got two different thought trains on this one personally (neither is mutually exclusive).
1) Detect local time servers on a mesh and pull off them (flaw is someone could mislead the time, but again it's cosmetic only)
2) GUI change to allow setting it manually. Would likely be put on hold until the new GUI is my guess (reserving resources on the existing GUI to more functional components vs cosmetic components)
Edit:
Of course I doubt we would turn away a patch for the GUI if it was already made, just meant to say I'm not sure a GUI change for time would be the highest priority item as we continue to push for additional large items that have a more functional impact such as XW support in next build.
I agree to most users, time is probably not a big deal.
I was trying to create a few scripts to automate tput measurements between nodes, accurate time would be nice to log. I understand if it's low on the priority list.
Russ. WL7AG
Looks like I put an edit in at same time you were submitting your post.
What sort of measurements between nodes are you doing that are accurate local time sensitive? Most measurements I've seen to date are all done off node (or are logged off node) where the nodes time hasn't really been relavant.
I want to do iperf among several nodes. I was going to setup cron on each node to do this at specific schedules so that no 2 nodes were doing the test at the same time, but if each node had random timing, it would be difficult to create a cron schedule in each node to do this. That was the thinking behind my request.
Russ. WL7AG
How about having each node speak NTP to its neighbors? Then you'd only need to synch one node to a server and the whole network would have at least the approximate time.
You can also use Zeroconf (Apple's Bonjour) to find NTP servers on local networks.
I've made my NTP server available on the San Diego mesh network. It's at the usual port 123 on host maggie.ka9q.net, 10.44.77.5.
This is a Linux machine that peers with several stratum-2 and -1 NTP servers, including a local Timemachines dedicated GPS timing receiver.
Some notes on NTP in mesh code version 3.15.1.0b01.
There are two daemon startup scripts, ntpclient and sysntpd. The first is intended for a one-shot setting of the clock at boot, the second starts a server that keeps the clock synchronized and presumably also provides time to other nodes.
The /etc/init.d/ntpclient script calls /usr/sbin/ntpclient, which is missing. The /etc/init.d/sysntpd script invokes /usr/sbin/ntpd, which is part of the busybox multi-function binary. I haven't actually tried it, but it appears that if you put a reachable NTP server into its configuration file then it should start automatically at boot.
I manually started ntpd from the shell with 'ntpd -p 10.44.77.5', and this worked. (10.44.77.5 is my Linux server running NTP).
Thanks Phil.
re: The ntpclient issue, it was reported and is fixed for the next beta. http://bloodhound.aredn.org/products/AREDN/ticket/119
Hi all, I also was wondering about time on the mesh. Primarily because a couple services I want to have on the mesh require accurate time (mainly for logging). I've wondered if AREDN supports the GPS Rocket models that Ubiquiti makes. You know, at least be able to pull the time (and maybe location coordinates) from the GPS.
Then again, is this all pointless??? "the nodes do not serve time to local networks so there is no dependency on time." Does this mean That I can't have my servers pull time data from the mesh? Honestly, the nodes I've been testing my servers on thus far have all been internet connected, but I thought all I would have to do is set the IP address of the local GPS/NTP server in the server & maybe mesh configuration files.
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-ROCKET-M5-GPS-5GHz-Power-AirMax/dp/B00CX4T6BU/
Probably better to start a separate thread for the hardware, as of now no one has volunteered to work with us on a GPS unit to see if we can support it or not.
The nodes do not need time to function, but that does not mean you can't have a NTP server on the mesh somewhere that you reference (I've seen everything from 500$ network time servers to raspberry PI's with a USB GPS dongle)
In theory a mesh node could be a time server (especially considering the GPS on some units) but that would first require somone to acquire one and work with the devs (understanding there is never a guarantee of it all working). I don't know if the GPS is wired to the onboard serial port, is a USB device, etc so i can't really say what the ability to get GPS off the node would be at this time.
You will not notice your clocks drifting when your connected to the internet, but give it week without a link or even a boot up, without a NTP server to sync with....well its going to drift.
A RPI is perfectly suited, if you need the time NOW!