bug#71462: Default ntp service configuration not working on IPv6 network

bug#71462: Default ntp service configuration not working on IPv6 network

[Guillaume Le Vaillant]

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On an IPv6-only network, the default configuration for ntp-service-type
doesn't work, because the default pool used (<0.guix.pool.ntp.org>)
doesn't have IPv6 addresses.

In fact, the <1.guix.pool.ntp.org> and <3.guix.pool.ntp.org> pools don't
have IPv6 addresses either. Only the <2.guix.pool.ntp.org> pool works
with IPv6.

Would it be possible to add IPv6 support to pools 0, 1 and 3?

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bug#71462: Default ntp service configuration not working on IPv6 network

[Leo Famulari]

On Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 08:30:32AM +0000, Guillaume Le Vaillant wrote:
> On an IPv6-only network, the default configuration for ntp-service-type
> doesn't work, because the default pool used (<0.guix.pool.ntp.org>)
> doesn't have IPv6 addresses.
> 
> In fact, the <1.guix.pool.ntp.org> and <3.guix.pool.ntp.org> pools don't
> have IPv6 addresses either. Only the <2.guix.pool.ntp.org> pool works
> with IPv6.
> 
> Would it be possible to add IPv6 support to pools 0, 1 and 3?

It's not something that we, as Guix, can do.

The NTP pool is run by a separate organization, and the question of
which DNS names should return AAAA (IPv6) records is open:

https://community.ntppool.org/t/the-time-has-come-we-must-enable-ipv6-entirely/1968

However, the reason they give us 4 different addresses is so that we can
spread the load around. Our NTP services should choose randomly at
run-time. Or we could just make number 2 the default, and then we'll
have IPv6 support. Or something more complicated...

bug#71462: Default ntp service configuration not working on IPv6 network

[Guillaume Le Vaillant]

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Leo Famulari <leo@famulari.name> skribis:

> On Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 08:30:32AM +0000, Guillaume Le Vaillant wrote:
>> On an IPv6-only network, the default configuration for ntp-service-type
>> doesn't work, because the default pool used (<0.guix.pool.ntp.org>)
>> doesn't have IPv6 addresses.
>> 
>> In fact, the <1.guix.pool.ntp.org> and <3.guix.pool.ntp.org> pools don't
>> have IPv6 addresses either. Only the <2.guix.pool.ntp.org> pool works
>> with IPv6.
>> 
>> Would it be possible to add IPv6 support to pools 0, 1 and 3?
>
> It's not something that we, as Guix, can do.
>
> The NTP pool is run by a separate organization, and the question of
> which DNS names should return AAAA (IPv6) records is open:
>
> https://community.ntppool.org/t/the-time-has-come-we-must-enable-ipv6-entirely/1968
>
> However, the reason they give us 4 different addresses is so that we can
> spread the load around. Our NTP services should choose randomly at
> run-time. Or we could just make number 2 the default, and then we'll
> have IPv6 support. Or something more complicated...

Thanks for the info. I'm now using pool 2 as the default on my IPv6-only
machines, and it works well.

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bug#71462: Default ntp service configuration not working on IPv6 network

[Maxim Cournoyer]

Hi Guillaume,

Guillaume Le Vaillant <glv@posteo.net> writes:

> Leo Famulari <leo@famulari.name> skribis:
>
>> On Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 08:30:32AM +0000, Guillaume Le Vaillant wrote:
>>> On an IPv6-only network, the default configuration for ntp-service-type
>>> doesn't work, because the default pool used (<0.guix.pool.ntp.org>)
>>> doesn't have IPv6 addresses.
>>> 
>>> In fact, the <1.guix.pool.ntp.org> and <3.guix.pool.ntp.org> pools don't
>>> have IPv6 addresses either. Only the <2.guix.pool.ntp.org> pool works
>>> with IPv6.
>>> 
>>> Would it be possible to add IPv6 support to pools 0, 1 and 3?
>>
>> It's not something that we, as Guix, can do.
>>
>> The NTP pool is run by a separate organization, and the question of
>> which DNS names should return AAAA (IPv6) records is open:
>>
>> https://community.ntppool.org/t/the-time-has-come-we-must-enable-ipv6-entirely/1968
>>
>> However, the reason they give us 4 different addresses is so that we can
>> spread the load around. Our NTP services should choose randomly at
>> run-time. Or we could just make number 2 the default, and then we'll
>> have IPv6 support. Or something more complicated...
>
> Thanks for the info. I'm now using pool 2 as the default on my IPv6-only
> machines, and it works well.

I've now made pool 2 our default configuration address, in commit
503919fcf0 ("services: ntp: Default to an address that supports IPv6.").

Closing.

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim