Sync Ubuntu Clock with Internet Time Servers - Guide

Maintaining Accurate Time in Ubuntu

Ubuntu provides a straightforward method for ensuring your system's clock remains accurately aligned with internet time servers. This functionality is particularly beneficial for older machines where the system clock may gradually drift.

Please Note: The information presented in this article may be outdated. For the most current instructions, please refer to our updated guide on syncing the clock with internet time servers in Ubuntu 10.04.

Enabling Time Synchronization

To activate this feature, begin by right-clicking on the clock display and selecting "Adjust Date & Time." This will open the settings panel.

Within this panel, you will find an option to synchronize your time. Simply select the corresponding checkbox to enable automatic time updates.

Installing NTP Support

It is likely that NTP (Network Time Protocol) support is not already installed on your system, unless it was previously configured.

If NTP is missing, click the "Install NTP support" button to initiate the installation process.

Manually Synchronizing Time

Once NTP is installed, your system will automatically begin synchronizing with time servers.

To manually force a time synchronization, first deselect the "keep clock synchronized" checkbox. Then, the "Synchronize Now" button will become available for use.

This is a remarkably convenient feature.