ntpq is a Linux utility that is used to query the Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon and to display information about the NTP associations and the state of the NTP clock. NTP is a protocol used to synchronize the clocks of networked systems to within a few milliseconds of each other.
ntpq is used to query the NTP daemon and display information about the NTP associations that the daemon has established with remote NTP servers. This information includes the status of each association, the address and stratum of each remote server, and the current time offset between the local clock and each remote server.
ntpq can also be used to display information about the state of the NTP clock, including the estimated accuracy of the clock, the current time, and the status of the clock discipline algorithm.
If you encounter the below error while running the command ntpq:
ntpq: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install ntp |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install ntp |
| Arch Linux | pacman -S ntp |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install ntp |
| CentOS | yum install ntp |
| Fedora | dnf install ntp |
| OS X | brew install ntp |
| Raspbian | apt-get install ntp |
ntpq Command Examples
1. Start `ntpq` in interactive mode:
# ntpq --interactive
2. Print a list of NTP peers:
# ntpq --peers
3. Print a list of NTP peers without resolving hostnames from IP addresses:
# ntpq --numeric --peers
4. Use `ntpq` in debugging mode:
# ntpq --debug-level
5. Print NTP system variables values:
# ntpq --command=rv