ntpd does not normally make one large change. Instead, it will slowly change the clock over time. This is especially true if the system clock is ahead of the correct time. Turning back the clock can cause interesting problems for any program that uses system time or timestamps. So what is done instead is that the clock is slowed down instead, until the time matches. (I think it skips every nth time tick.) On the other hand, if the difference is too large, ntpd should exit with an error. >From man ntpd: Under ordinarily conditions, ntpd adjusts the clock in small steps so that the timescale is effectively continuous and without discontinuities. Mikkel --
That's what I like about this list. I'm always learning. In the meantime I agree with the subsequent post to yours that at bootup that would be synched properly and immediately. So unless an application after initial bootup went and changed the clock time to another time zone which would result in the behaviour you noted from ntpd that shouldn't happen. And if that is happening, then the earlier point I found when Googling this is that it could be caused by an application you installed messing with the clock. Jacques B.
