Fixing Time Synchronization Issues on Ubuntu 20.04

In the world of computing, maintaining accurate time synchronization is crucial. However, you might encounter time synchronization issues on your Ubuntu 20.04 system due to various reasons. This article will guide you through the process of fixing these issues, ensuring your system clock is accurate and synchronized.

Understanding the Importance of Time Synchronization

Before we delve into the solutions, it’s important to understand why time synchronization is crucial. In a nutshell, many system processes, applications, and services depend on the system clock. For instance, time stamps in logs, scheduling tasks, and network protocols all rely on accurate time.

Prerequisites

You will need:

• A system running Ubuntu 20.04.
• Sudo or root privileges.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Time Synchronization Issues

Step 1: Remove the ntp package

The first step is to remove the ntp package if it’s installed. The ntp package is a more complex and flexible solution for time synchronization, but systemd-timesyncd is sufficient for most desktop users. To remove the ntp package, run the following command:

sudo apt remove ntp

Step 2: Reinstall systemd-timesyncd

Next, reinstall the systemd-timesyncd package. This package provides a simpler way to synchronize the system clock across the network. To do this, run:

sudo apt --purge remove systemd-timesyncd
sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd

The --purge option removes the package and its configuration files. The install command reinstalls the package.

Step 3: Select the Correct Time Zone

Ensure that you’ve selected the correct time zone for your system. Use the following command to select your time zone:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

Follow the on-screen prompts to select your geographic area and city.

Step 4: Verify the Time Zone

To verify that the correct time zone has been set, use the following command:

cat /etc/timezone

This command will display the currently set time zone.

Step 5: Check the Status of Time Synchronization

Now, check the status of your time synchronization. The following command will display whether the system clock is synchronized and if the NTP service is active:

timedatectl status

Step 6: Set the Hardware Clock to UTC

If you’re not dual booting with Windows, set the hardware clock to UTC. This is the standard timekeeping method for Linux systems. Use the following command:

timedatectl set-local-rtc 0 --adjust-system-clock

Step 7: Check the Status of systemd-timesyncd

Next, check the status of the systemd-timesyncd daemon. This daemon is responsible for time synchronization on your system. Run the following command:

systemctl status systemd-timesyncd

Step 8: Enable and Start systemd-timesyncd

If the systemd-timesyncd service isn’t active, enable and start it using these commands:

systemctl enable systemd-timesyncd
systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd

The enable command ensures that the service starts automatically at boot, while the restart command starts the service immediately.

Step 9: Manual Time Setting

If you encounter errors, disable automatic time synchronization, manually set the time, and then re-enable automatic synchronization. Use these commands:

timedatectl set-ntp false
date --set "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS"
timedatectl set-ntp true

Replace “YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS” with the current date and time.

Step 10: Reboot and Verify

Finally, reboot your system and verify the time synchronization once again using timedatectl status.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to fix time synchronization issues on your Ubuntu 20.04 system. If you continue to encounter issues, it may be worth reaching out to the Ubuntu community for further assistance. Remember, maintaining accurate time synchronization is not just about convenience, it’s a necessity for many system processes and services.