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OpenBSD Project Releases OpenNTPd
44BSD writes "The folks at OpenBSD have announced OpenNTPd, a BSD-licensed implementation of the NTP protocol. As with OpenSSH, there are two teams responsible for the code, which, like OpenSSH, is available in pure OpenBSD and portable versions." TLA FYI: This Wikipedia entry offers a quick overview of the Network Time Protocol. Read on below for some more on OpenNTPd.
"As explained at the project home page:
One team does strictly OpenBSD-based development, aiming to produce code that is as clean, simple, and secure as possible. We believe that simplicity without the portability "goop" allows for better code quality control and easier review. The other team then takes the clean version and makes it portable, by adding the portability "goop" so that it will run on many operating systems.I have been using the OpenBSD variant of this daemon as it exists in the OpenBSD 3.5-current branch of the OS, and it has worked flawlessly with absolutely zero configurational effort. The supplied config file is sufficient to have the daemon synch against a randomly chosen stratum 2 server (pool.ntp.org, served up via round-robin A records). Aside from its simplicity, this daemon offers the ability to be selectively bound to a machine's network interfaces, rather than having to bind to all, as is the case with xntpd. The features provided by this implementation are probably sufficient for the majority of NTP users, and when the promised support for GPS and radio clocks is added, still more will be able to choose OpenNTPd. This additional diversity is welcome, indeed."
Well, the software itself is lacking in certain areas (like the mentioned binding to specific IPs for example) and the guy who writes it refuses to accept patches to add functionality people want. So its not really a great piece of software anyhow.
But worse still, its not actually free software. The license is ambiguous, and uses the term "without fee" in a way that could easily be construed as "you can distribute this if you don't charge a fee" instead of "you have permission to do stuff, without having to pay a fee to me". This means linux and BSD cds being sold can't have xntpd on them without risking legal problems.
When people have pointed out the problem with the wording, and that the added words don't add anything to the statement anyhow, he has been hostile and refuses to change the license to clarify wether or not you are allowed to charge money for something that includes xntpd. Given these problems, and the relative simplicity of ntp, it makes more sense to make a free, high quality replacement than try to deal with the problems of the existing software.
Just so everyone is clear and your post isn't taken out of context
The official OpenBSD CD distribution is sold yes. The OpenBSD project does not put up ISO's.
However you can easily net install (floppies are available for this purpose) and even, easily even, roll your own CD's from an installled base. Once instaleld you can upgrade with cvsup, as with all the BSDs.
You buy the CD if you need a CD and/or want to support OpenBSD.
Just put
Moreover, the average user doesn't want...
Who's the ignorant elitist here?
If by this you mean lacking the knowledge, then maybe OpenBSD just isn't for you...
- base35.tgz - 30MB
- bsd - 5MB
- etc35.tgz - 1.5MB
- floppy35.fs - 1.5MB
- man35.tgz - 6.5MB
- misc35.tgz - 2MB
for a total of about 46.5MB to get a running system with all of the documentation.46.5MB / 4KB/sec (low estimate of the typical download rate of a 56K modem) equals a bit over 3 hours.
Frankly, if you don't have the patience to run a three-hour download, then I wouldn't want to be around the OpenBSD mailing lists and newsgroups when you start complaining that it takes too long to install it. If you're unwilling to invest that minimal amount of time then OpenBSD isn't for you.
Insightful, my foot. That's just lazy.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Do one, then the other.