{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "NTPTRACE",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/NTPTRACE/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-09-16T00:28:44Z",
    "synopsis": "ntptrace [-V | --version] [-n |--numeric]\n[-m number | --max-hosts=number]\n[-r host | --host=remote]\nhostname",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "ntptrace - trace peers of an NTP server\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "ntptrace [-V | --version] [-n |--numeric]\n[-m number | --max-hosts=number]\n[-r host | --host=remote]\nhostname\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "ntptrace is a python script that uses the ntpq utility program to follow the chain of NTP\nservers from a given host back to the primary time source.\n\nFor ntptrace to work properly, each of these servers must implement the NTP Control and\nMonitoring Protocol specified in RFC 1305 and enable NTP Mode 6 control packets. Nowadays it\nis usual for public timeservers to disable Mode 6 queries, so this script is unlikely to be\nvery useful unless you have a collection of specially-configured timeservers on your LAN.\n\nIf given no arguments, ntptrace starts with localhost. Here is an example of the output from\nntptrace:\n\n% ntptrace\nlocalhost: stratum 4, offset 0.0019529, synch distance 0.144135\nserver2ozo.com: stratum 2, offset 0.0124263, synch distance 0.115784\nusndh.edu: stratum 1, offset 0.0019298, synch distance 0.011993, refid 'GPS'\n\nOn each line, the fields are (left to right): the host name, the host stratum, the time\noffset between that host and the local host (as measured by ntptrace; this is why it is not\nalways zero for \"localhost\"), the host synchronization distance, and (only for stratum-1\nservers) the reference clock ID. All times are given in seconds. Note that the stratum is the\nserver hop count to the primary source, while the synchronization distance is the estimated\nerror relative to the primary source. These terms are precisely defined in RFC 1305.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-n, --numeric",
                    "content": "Print IP addresses instead of hostnames.\n\nOutput hosts as dotted-quad numeric format rather than converting to the canonical host\nnames.\n\n-m number, --max-hosts=number\nMaximum number of peers to trace. This option takes an integer number as its argument.\nThe default number for this option is 99.\n\n-r string, --host=string\nTrace a single remote host.\n",
                    "flag": "-n",
                    "long": "--numeric"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-V, --version",
                    "content": "Print the version string and exit.\n",
                    "flag": "-V",
                    "long": "--version"
                }
            ]
        },
        "EXIT STATUS": {
            "content": "One of the following exit values will be returned:\n\n0 (EXITSUCCESS)\nSuccessful program execution.\n\n1 (EXITFAILURE)\nThe operation failed or the invocation was not valid.\n\nNTPsec                                       2024-04-01                                  NTPTRACE(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "ntptrace - trace peers of an NTP server",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-n",
            "long": "--numeric",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Print IP addresses instead of hostnames. Output hosts as dotted-quad numeric format rather than converting to the canonical host names. -m number, --max-hosts=number Maximum number of peers to trace. This option takes an integer number as its argument. The default number for this option is 99. -r string, --host=string Trace a single remote host."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-V",
            "long": "--version",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Print the version string and exit."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": []
}