Hi,

ntptime gives an error in the container as shown below :

root@ubuntu:/docker# docker run -it ntp_container /bin/bash
root@482b73de7a54:/# ps -ef|grep ntpd
root 17 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 grep --color=auto ntpd
root@482b73de7a54:/# clear
root@482b73de7a54:/# ntptime
ntp_gettime() returns code 5 (ERROR)
time d9c34c6a.d35e4000 Sat, Oct 10 2015 8:35:54.825, (.825657),
maximum error 16000000 us, estimated error 16000000 us, TAI offset 0
ntp_adjtime() returns code 5 (ERROR)
modes 0x0 (),
offset 0.000 us, frequency 0.000 ppm, interval 1 s,
maximum error 16000000 us, estimated error 16000000 us,
status 0x40 (UNSYNC),
time constant 2, precision 1.000 us, tolerance 500 ppm,
root@482b73de7a54:/# ntpq -p
ntpq: read: Connection refused
root@482b73de7a54:/# sudo service ntp restart

• Stopping NTP server ntpd [ OK ]

• Starting NTP server ntpd [ OK ]
  root@482b73de7a54:/# ntpq -p
  remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset jitter

  172.82.134.51 152.2.133.54 2 u 2 64 1 50.172 -2.708 0.000
  ec2-107-22-169- 18.26.4.105 2 u 1 64 1 70.422 5.155 0.000
  ntp.wdc1.us.lea .INIT. 16 u - 64 0 0.000 0.000 0.000
  time-a.nist.gov .INIT. 16 u - 64 0 0.000 0.000 0.000
  golem.canonical .INIT. 16 u - 64 0 0.000 0.000 0.000
  root@482b73de7a54:/# ntptime
  ntp_gettime() returns code 5 (ERROR)
  time d9c34c81.fcdb2000 Sat, Oct 10 2015 8:36:17.987, (.987719),
  maximum error 16000000 us, estimated error 16000000 us, TAI offset 0
  ntp_adjtime() returns code 5 (ERROR)
  modes 0x0 (),
  offset 0.000 us, frequency 0.000 ppm, interval 1 s,
  maximum error 16000000 us, estimated error 16000000 us,
  status 0x40 (UNSYNC),
  time constant 2, precision 1.000 us, tolerance 500 ppm,
  root@482b73de7a54:/#

The host running the container doesn't have NTP installed. Below is the docker file:

root@ubuntu:/docker# more Dockerfile

Set the base image :

FROM ubuntu:trusty

File Author/Maintainer :

MAINTAINER Sasikanth Kotti [email protected]

USER root

ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8

ntp

RUN sudo apt-get clean
RUN sudo apt-get update
RUN sudo apt-get -f install -y libsasl2.2 ntp lsb psutils

However ntptime works fine if NTP is installed on the host. Below are the details :

root@ubuntu:/docker# sudo apt-get install ntp
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
linux-headers-3.19.0-28 linux-headers-3.19.0-28-generic
linux-image-3.19.0-28-generic linux-image-extra-3.19.0-28-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
libopts25
Suggested packages:
ntp-doc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libopts25 ntp
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/473 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,676 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Selecting previously unselected package libopts25:amd64.
(Reading database ... 96669 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libopts25_1%3a5.18-2ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libopts25:amd64 (1:5.18-2ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package ntp.
Preparing to unpack .../ntp_1%3a4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu2.14.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking ntp (1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu2.14.04.3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Setting up libopts25:amd64 (1:5.18-2ubuntu2) ...
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu2.14.04.3) ...

• Starting NTP server ntpd [ OK ]
  Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-0ubuntu6.6) ...
  root@ubuntu:/docker# docker run -it ntp_container /bin/bash
  root@0641755070a5:/# ps -ef|grep ntpd
  root 16 1 0 08:42 ? 00:00:00 grep --color=auto ntpd
  root@0641755070a5:/# ntptime
  ntp_gettime() returns code 0 (OK)
  time d9c34de6.60f3a000 Sat, Oct 10 2015 8:42:14.378, (.378717),
  maximum error 18516 us, estimated error 16 us, TAI offset 0
  ntp_adjtime() returns code 0 (OK)
  modes 0x0 (),
  offset 0.000 us, frequency 219.804 ppm, interval 1 s,
  maximum error 18516 us, estimated error 16 us,
  status 0x1 (PLL),
  time constant 7, precision 1.000 us, tolerance 500 ppm,
  root@0641755070a5:/# ntpq -p
  ntpq: read: Connection refused
  root@0641755070a5:/# sudo service ntp restart
• Stopping NTP server ntpd [ OK ]

• Starting NTP server ntpd [ OK ]
  root@0641755070a5:/# ntpq -p
  remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset jitter

  104.41.150.68 129.6.15.30 2 u 6 64 1 69.129 -38.422 0.000
  soft-sea-01.ser .INIT. 16 u - 64 0 0.000 0.000 0.000
  206.51.211.152 206.51.211.153 4 u 5 64 1 75.153 -20.886 0.000
  216.152.240.220 164.67.62.194 2 u 4 64 1 67.885 -87.027 0.000
  golem.canonical 193.79.237.14 2 u 3 64 1 155.732 -28.138 0.000
  root@0641755070a5:/# ntptime
  ntp_gettime() returns code 0 (OK)
  time d9c34e31.f103e000 Sat, Oct 10 2015 8:43:29.941, (.941465),
  maximum error 56016 us, estimated error 16 us, TAI offset 0
  ntp_adjtime() returns code 0 (OK)
  modes 0x0 (),
  offset 0.000 us, frequency 219.804 ppm, interval 1 s,
  maximum error 56016 us, estimated error 16 us,
  status 0x1 (PLL),
  time constant 7, precision 1.000 us, tolerance 500 ppm,
  root@0641755070a5:/#

Please advise on this.