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[Mathew Hodson <mathew.hodson@xxxxxxxxx>]

** Bug watch removed: Debian Bug tracker #514318
   http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=514318

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/484698

Title:
  ntp package should not install a drift file

Status in NTP:
  Invalid
Status in Ubuntu Server papercuts:
  Invalid
Status in ntp package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: ntp

  The drift file (in Ubuntu its default location is
  /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift) contains ntpd's estimate of the system's drift
  relative to UTC, expressed in ppm. This file is generated by ntpd, and
  its purpose is to speed up convergence following restart.

  Ubuntu's ntp package installs a drift file containing 0.000, i.e. a
  zero drift. The effect is that when ntpd is first started following
  installation of the ntp package, it will assume that zero ppm is a
  good estimate of the drift of the system clock.

  This is not correct. If no reliable estimate of the drift is known (as
  is the case when ntp is first installed), the drift file should simply
  be absent, so that ntpd knows that characterisation of the system's
  drift has not yet happened. The current approach causes ntpd's startup
  behaviour to be significantly worse than it needs to be.

  Please therefore simply refrain from installing a drift file. If one
  already exists I recommend that the ntp installer should leave it
  alone, except perhaps for making sure that it has the correct
  permissions and ownership.

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