ntpdate Command not Found: Solution

The ntpdate command has been deprecated and removed from modern Linux distributions. If you encounter the “ntpdate command not found” error on Debian, Ubuntu Linux systems, this guide shows you how to synchronize your system time using the modern replacements: systemd-timesyncd and chrony.

$ ntpdate
bash: ntpdate: command not found

You may also see the following error when trying to enable NTP synchronization:

$ timedatectl set-ntp true
Failed to set ntp: NTP not supported

Software Requirements

Software Requirements and Linux Command Line Conventions

Category	Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used
System	Debian 13 (Trixie) or newer, Ubuntu 24.04 or newer
Software	systemd-timesyncd or chrony
Other	Network connectivity to NTP servers
Conventions	# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command $ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

Why Was ntpdate Removed?

Check What NTP Packages Are Installed

Before proceeding, check if systemd-timesyncd or chrony is already installed on your system:

$ dpkg -l | grep -E "systemd-timesyncd|chrony"

If neither package is listed in the output, you will need to install one of them. Use systemd-timesyncd for a lightweight solution suitable for most systems, or chrony for more advanced features and better handling of unreliable network connections.

Using systemd-timesyncd

The systemd-timesyncd service provides automatic time synchronization. It is a lightweight NTP client suitable for most systems.

1. Install systemd-timesyncd: Install the package if it is not already present on your system.

   $ sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd

2. Enable NTP synchronization: Enable automatic time synchronization.

   $ sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

3. Verify synchronization status: Check that the time sync service is running and connected to NTP servers.

   $ systemctl status systemd-timesyncd

   Look for “active (running)” and the “Status” line showing the contacted NTP server.

   

4. Force immediate synchronization: If you need to sync time immediately, restart the timesyncd service.

   $ sudo systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd

Using Chrony

If you need more advanced NTP features, chrony is an excellent alternative. It handles intermittent network connections better and can also act as an NTP server.

1. Install chrony: Install the chrony package using your package manager.

   $ sudo apt install chrony

2. Start and enable the service: Ensure chrony starts automatically on boot.

   $ sudo systemctl enable --now chrony

3. Check synchronization sources: Verify that chrony is connected to NTP servers.

   $ chronyc sources -v

   

4. Check tracking status: View detailed synchronization information.

   $ chronyc tracking

One-Time Manual Sync

If you need to perform a one-time synchronization similar to what ntpdate provided, you have two options:

Using chronyd with -q flag

This method queries NTP servers and sets the time once, then exits, similar to ntpdate behavior. Note that you must stop the chrony service first if it is running:

$ sudo systemctl stop chrony
$ sudo chronyd -q 'server pool.ntp.org iburst'

Using systemd-timesyncd

Force an immediate sync by restarting the service:

$ sudo systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd
$ systemctl status systemd-timesyncd

Troubleshooting

Unit systemd-timesyncd.service could not be found

If you see this error when checking the service status, systemd-timesyncd is not installed:

$ systemctl status systemd-timesyncd
Unit systemd-timesyncd.service could not be found.

Install the package to resolve this:

$ sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd

Failed to query server: The name org.freedesktop.timesync1 was not provided

This error appears when trying to check time sync status without systemd-timesyncd installed:

$ timedatectl timesync-status
Failed to query server: The name org.freedesktop.timesync1 was not provided by any .service files

Install and enable systemd-timesyncd:

$ sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd
$ sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-timesyncd

Failed to set ntp: NTP not supported

This error occurs when no NTP client service is installed or running:

$ sudo timedatectl set-ntp true
Failed to set ntp: NTP not supported

Install and enable systemd-timesyncd to resolve this:

$ sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd
$ sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-timesyncd

Then retry enabling NTP synchronization.

Time still not syncing

Verify network connectivity to NTP servers and check firewall settings. NTP uses UDP port 123:

$ sudo ufw allow 123/udp

Failed to enable unit: Refusing to operate on linked unit file chronyd.service

This error occurs when trying to enable the chrony service using chronyd instead of chrony:

$ sudo systemctl enable --now chronyd
Failed to enable unit: Refusing to operate on linked unit file chronyd.service

Use chrony as the service name instead:

$ sudo systemctl enable --now chrony

Another chronyd may already be running

This error occurs when trying to run a one-time sync with chronyd -q while the chrony service is already running:

$ sudo chronyd -q 'server pool.ntp.org iburst'
Fatal error : Another chronyd may already be running (pid=3630), check /run/chrony/chronyd.pid

Stop the chrony service first before running the one-time sync:

$ sudo systemctl stop chrony
$ sudo chronyd -q 'server pool.ntp.org iburst'

Conclusion

The “ntpdate command not found” error is expected on modern Debian and Ubuntu systems since ntpdate has been deprecated and removed. The recommended replacements are systemd-timesyncd for desktop systems and chrony for servers or systems with intermittent network connectivity. Both alternatives provide superior time synchronization compared to the legacy ntpdate command.

For more information on NTP and time synchronization, refer to the official Chrony documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I still install ntpdate on Debian 13 or Ubuntu 24.04? On Debian 13 (Trixie), the ntpdate package has been completely removed from the repositories and is not available for installation. On Ubuntu 24.04, a transitional package exists but it simply redirects to ntpsec-ntpdate. It is recommended to use systemd-timesyncd or chrony instead.
2. What is the difference between systemd-timesyncd and chrony? The systemd-timesyncd is a lightweight SNTP client suitable for most desktop systems. Chrony is a full NTP implementation that handles network interruptions better, provides more accurate timekeeping, and can act as an NTP server. Use chrony for servers or systems requiring high precision.
3. How do I check if my system time is synchronized? Run systemctl status systemd-timesyncd and look for “active (running)” in the output. The “Status” line will show which NTP server has been contacted. You can also run timedatectl status and check for “System clock synchronized: yes”.
4. Why does timedatectl set-ntp true fail with “NTP not supported”? This error occurs when no NTP client service is installed or running. Install systemd-timesyncd with sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd, then enable it with sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-timesyncd before running the timedatectl command again.