--with-hooks="timesyncd.conf" should uncomment 'option ntp_servers'

[perkelix]

As reported at Debian, dhcpcd apparently started commenting out 'option ntp_servers' at commit aa1a876. This results in dhcpcd shipping without NTP support even in cases when --with-hooks="timesyncd.conf" or --with-hooks="ntp.conf" was passed to ./configure. IMHO, the build should uncomment the option in dhcpcd.conf if either hook was explicitly configured.

[coderabbitai]

📝 CodeRabbit Plan Mode

Generate an implementation plan and prompts that you can use with your favorite coding agent.

• Create Plan

Examples

• Example 1
• Example 2

---

🔗 Similar Issues

Related Issues

• Rapid commit is not necessarily safe to enable #499
• dhcpcd configured DNS server disappears when using systemd-resolved #500
• Sends an exit code before succesfully acquiring an IP #537

👤 Suggested Assignees

• tholin
• KenMilmore
• perkelix

---

🧪 Issue enrichment is currently in open beta.

You can configure auto-planning by selecting labels in the issue_enrichment configuration.

To disable automatic issue enrichment, add the following to your .coderabbit.yaml:

issue_enrichment:
  auto_enrich:
    enabled: false

💬 Have feedback or questions? Drop into our discord!

[AdamPerkins]

Ignoring the previous AI nonsense I strongly recommend 'option ntp_servers' is active by default.

I don't understand why it was commented out without any explanation in the commit.

[perkelix]

@rsmarples What's your take on this one?

[ColinMcInnes]

I think configure/Makefile automatically uncomment that option via the Makefile if --enable-ntp is used.

Is that the case?

[perkelix]

It seems to do so. Thanks.

However, IMHO, it would make more sense for any of...

• --with-hooks="timesyncd.conf"
• --with-hooks="ntp.conf"
• the NTP daemon detection traps in ./configure

...to uncomment it for us, since including the hooks but shipping the config with ntp_servers commented out is counter-productive.

[ColinMcInnes]

To be fair, configure doesn't know that the hook filename is reflective of the need for ntp functionality. However, I'm open to it being a little more liberal on detection since those two conf files are explicitly included in the distro, so we know they're linked to ntp.

Another alternative could be to add "--with-timesyncd" and "--with-ntpd" that would explicitly enable ntp, the ntp option, and add the appropriate hook. What do you think about that @perkelix ?

• --with-timesyncd (enables ntp and chooses the timesyncd.conf hook)
• --with-ntpd (enables ntp and chooses the ntp.conf hook)
• --with-ntp (enables ntp only, maintainer has to specify a hook with --with-hook)
• the NTP daemon detection traps in ./configure (chooses the hook based on which daemon it detected)

[perkelix]

This sounds like a plan. The daemon detection traps would also need to enable ntp.

For ntpd, we might need to update our scripts to test for different locations for ntpd.conf, since e.g. Debian puts these into their own subdirectories inside /etc.

[ColinMcInnes]

For ntpd, we might need to update our scripts to test for different locations for ntpd.conf, since e.g. Debian puts these into their own subdirectories inside /etc.

I think that merits its own issue related to autodetection.

[rsmarples]

Ignoring the previous AI nonsense I strongly recommend 'option ntp_servers' is active by default.

I don't understand why it was commented out without any explanation in the commit.

It was commented out because a 3rd party changing your time sync source should be opt in, not opt out. This was at the request of OpenBSD.

Provided that the default configure script does not change this no matter what is detected then I'm happy.

[ColinMcInnes]

It was commented out because a 3rd party changing your time sync source should be opt in, not opt out. This was at the request of OpenBSD.
Provided that the default configure script does not change this no matter what is detected then I'm happy.

I will have to rethink some parts, if I autodetect an ntp service NTP gets enabled. I will back that out. Maybe skip autodetection altogether if --enable is not used?

• Disable NTP unless --enable-ntp, --enable-ntpd, or --enable-timesyncd
• If --enable-ntp, autodetect existing daemons, and include appropriate hooks.
• If --enable-ntpd, or --enable-timesyncd, assume --enable-ntp and include appropriate hooks.

That will ensure that the ntp option is "opt-in"