LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
An administrator notices the system clock is drifting. Which command can be used to enable automatic time synchronization using NTP on a system with systemd?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse one-time synchronization commands (like `ntpdate` or `date --set`) with the persistent enabling of automatic NTP synchronization, or they assume starting the `ntpd` service alone is sufficient without using `timedatectl` to manage systemd's time synchronization framework.
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
✓
timedatectl set-ntp yes
`timedatectl set-ntp yes` enables automatic time synchronization via NTP on systems using systemd. This command configures the `systemd-timesyncd` service, which is the default NTP client for systemd-based distributions, to synchronize the system clock with remote NTP servers. It is the standard, modern method for managing NTP settings in such environments.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ntpdate pool.ntp.org
Why it's wrong here
ntpdate performs a single step adjustment then exits; it establishes no persistent daemon, so the clock drifts again afterwards. It is tempting because it is the classic one-shot NTP client, and it would be correct for immediately correcting a large offset before starting a synchronisation service.
- ✓
timedatectl set-ntp yes
Why this is correct
timedatectl set-ntp yes enables systemd-timesyncd, which starts the NTP synchronisation service and keeps the clock aligned automatically. This directly satisfies the requirement for automatic time synchronisation on a systemd host, correcting the drift without manual intervention.
- ✗
systemctl start ntpd
Why it's wrong here
ntpd is not the systemd unit name; systemd-timesyncd.service provides the built-in NTP client, so this command fails to enable synchronisation. It is tempting because ntpd is the traditional NTP daemon, and it would be correct on a distribution shipping the full NTP package with an ntpd unit.
- ✗
date --set
Why it's wrong here
date --set only writes a one-off clock value; it neither queries NTP servers nor schedules recurring corrections, so drift returns immediately. It is tempting because it is the standard tool for manually setting the clock, and it would be correct when fixing a known offset once, without any synchronisation daemon.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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