ntpd sync fails on boot

[Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED]

On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:21:42 -0500, Todd Denniston wrote:

[...]
> any ntpd messages in /var/log/messages during boot? If ntpd detects what
> the problem is, it often gives a clue there.
> 
> do you see any messages on boot where network is being delayed?
> 
> Is it only the ntpdate failing or is ntpd also not finding hosts on
> boot? if only ntpdate, then I would suspect the /etc/ntp/ntpservers or
> /etc/ntp/step-tickers to have a bad name. if it is both ntpdate and ntpd
> failing, then I would suspect some problem with DNS, but that usually
> leaves traces in /var/log/messages.
> 
> --
> Todd Denniston
> Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane) Harnessing the
> Power of Technology for the Warfighter

Here are some excerpts from /var/log/messages:

This is a failure on boot:

Jan  9 17:30:24 mbrc32 automount[2112]: lookup_read_master: lookup
(nisplus): couldn't locat nis+ table auto.master
Jan  9 17:30:25 mbrc32 nscd: 2137 Access Vector Cache (AVC) started
Jan  9 17:30:25 mbrc32 hpiod: 1.7.4a accepting connections at 2208...
Jan  9 17:30:26 mbrc32 ntpdate[2223]: sendto(mbrc21): Operation not 
permitted
Jan  9 17:30:27 mbrc32 setroubleshoot:      SELinux is preventing the /
usr/sbin/nscd from using potentially mislabeled files (/etc/hosts).      
For complete SELinux messages. r
un sealert -l d4747998-8ff4-4f42-8688-abbbb3671216
Jan  9 17:30:27 mbrc32 ntpdate[2223]: sendto(mbrc21): Operation not 
permitted
Jan  9 17:30:29 mbrc32 last message repeated 2 times
Jan  9 17:30:30 mbrc32 ntpdate[2223]: no server suitable for 
synchronization found
Jan  9 17:30:30 mbrc32 ntpd[2228]: ntpd 4.2.4p2 at 1.1495-o Thu Jun 21 
10:53:04 UTC 2007 (1)



Ihis is a successful command line restart of ntp:

Jan  9 17:31:34 mbrc32 setroubleshoot:      SELinux is preventing /usr/
sbin/openvpn (openvpn_t) "write" to /etc/openvpn/openvpn-status.log 
(openvpn_etc_t).      For complete SELinux messages. run sealert -l 
c3e4092f-9526-45a2-9eaf-effe3284ee2c
Jan  9 17:31:42 mbrc32 setroubleshoot:      SELinux is preventing the /
usr/sbin/nscd from using potentially mislabeled files (/etc/hosts).      
For complete SELinux messages. run sealert -l d4747998-8ff4-4f42-8688-
abbbb3671216
Jan  9 17:32:47 mbrc32 ntpd[2229]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Jan  9 17:32:47 mbrc32 ntpdate[3264]: step time server 192.168.9.21 
offset 0.110985 sec
Jan  9 17:32:47 mbrc32 ntpd[3266]: ntpd 4.2.4p2 at 1.1495-o Thu Jun 21 
10:53:04 UTC 2007 (1)
Jan  9 17:32:47 mbrc32 ntpd[3267]: precision = 1.000 usec
Jan  9 17:32:47 mbrc32 ntpd[3267]: Listening on interface #0 wildcard, 
0.0.0.0#123 Disabled

Could selinux be interfering even though
/etc/selinux/config (comments removed):
SELINUX=permissive
SELINUXTYPE=targeted
SETLOCALDEFS=0

When I first looked at messages per your suggestion, it looked
like openvpn might be related to the problem.  I therefore
changed /etc/init.d/openvpn so openvpn would start after ntpd.
No difference.

Mike.

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