LPIC-1 Essential System Services and Networking Practice Question
A system administrator wants to configure NTP client on a server running systemd and using systemd-timesyncd. Which file should be edited to set the NTP server?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the configuration files for different NTP implementations (ntpd, chrony, and systemd-timesyncd) and may default to the traditional /etc/ntp.conf without recognizing that systemd-timesyncd uses its own dedicated file.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf
On a system using systemd-timesyncd, the NTP server configuration is stored in /etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf. This file is read by the systemd-timesyncd service to determine which NTP servers to synchronize with. Editing this file is the correct method for configuring NTP clients under systemd.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
/etc/chrony.conf
Why it's wrong here
This file is for the chrony NTP implementation.
- ✓
/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf
Why this is correct
This is the configuration file for systemd-timesyncd, the default NTP client on systemd systems.
- ✗
/etc/ntp.conf
Why it's wrong here
This configuration file is for the ntpd service, not timesyncd.
- ✗
/etc/ntp/ntp.conf
Why it's wrong here
This is not a standard path; NTP configuration is either in /etc/ntp.conf or /etc/chrony.conf.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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