RDATE(8)                    System Manager's Manual                   RDATE(8)

NAME
     rdate - set the system's date from a remote host

SYNOPSIS
     rdate [-46acnpsv] host

DESCRIPTION
     rdate displays and sets the local date and time from the host name or
     address given as the argument.  The time source may be an RFC 868 TCP
     protocol server, which is usually implemented as a built-in service of
     inetd(8), or an RFC 2030 protocol SNTP/NTP server.  By default, rdate
     uses the RFC 868 TCP protocol.

     The options are as follows:

     -4      Forces rdate to use IPv4 addresses only.

     -6      Forces rdate to use IPv6 addresses only. (Not active on Interix.)

     -a      Use the adjtime(2) call to gradually skew the local time to the
             remote time rather than just hopping. (Not currently active on
             Interix.)

     -c      Correct leap seconds.  Sometimes required when synchronizing to
             an NTP server.  When synchronizing using the RFC 868 protocol,
             use this option only if the server does not correctly account for
             leap seconds.  You can determine if you need this parameter if
             you sync against an NTP server (with this parameter) or (recom-
             mended) check with a local radio controlled watch or phone ser-
             vice.

     -n      Use SNTP (RFC 2030) instead of the RFC 868 time protocol.

     -p      Do not set, just print the remote time.

     -s      Do not print the time.

     -v      Verbose output.  Always show the adjustment.

NOTES
     Users will need to have been granted the permission SE_SYSTEMTIME_PRIVI-
     LEGE in order to adjust the time. Typically the Administrator account and
     accounts in the Administrators group have this permission but it can be
     granted to other accounts.

FILES
     None.

EXAMPLES
     To get the legal time for your location ensure that the environement
     variable TZ is set and issue the following command:

           # rdate -cv swisstime.ethz.ch

     The command of course assumes you have a working internet connection and
     DNS set up to connect to the server at Integrated Systems Laboratory,
     Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Of course this is
     an example and servers will come into and go out of service, so you may
     need to lookup a valid server.

     To gradually adjust time once an hour after the first "step" adjustment,
     put the following line into the local Administrator's crontab:

           58  *  *  *  *  rdate -cv swisstime.ethz.ch | logger -t NTP

SEE ALSO
     date(1), inetd(8), localtime(3), tzset(3)

Interix                         August 27, 2004                        Interix