[Solved] If vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start

Strangiato · 2025-03-15 21:31:26

Hi

I use Arch with KDE Plasma DE, my system is fully updated.
When vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start on boot, I see "[FAILED]" in red during boot. ntpd starts on boot as expected if vmware-networks service is disabled.
Here is journal log when ntpd fails:

https://0x0.st/8Q_T.txt

ntpd log:

15 Mar 18:09:04 ntpd[897]: ntpd exiting on signal 15 (Terminated)
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: Listen and drop on 0 v6wildcard [::]:123
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: Listen and drop on 1 v4wildcard 0.0.0.0:123
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: Listen normally on 2 lo 127.0.0.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: Listen normally on 3 vmnet1 172.16.98.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: Listen normally on 4 lo [::1]:123
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: bind(21) AF_INET6 [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123 flags 0x811 failed: Cannot assign requested address
15 Mar 18:09:24 ntpd[737]: unable to create socket on vmnet1 (5) for [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen and drop on 0 v6wildcard [::]:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen and drop on 1 v4wildcard 0.0.0.0:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen normally on 2 lo 127.0.0.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen normally on 3 vmnet1 172.16.98.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen normally on 4 vmnet8 192.168.251.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: Listen normally on 5 lo [::1]:123
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: bind(22) AF_INET6 [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123 flags 0x811 failed: Cannot assign requested address
15 Mar 18:09:25 ntpd[811]: unable to create socket on vmnet1 (6) for [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen and drop on 0 v6wildcard [::]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen and drop on 1 v4wildcard 0.0.0.0:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen normally on 2 lo 127.0.0.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen normally on 3 vmnet1 172.16.98.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen normally on 4 vmnet8 192.168.251.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: Listen normally on 5 lo [::1]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: bind(22) AF_INET6 [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123 flags 0x811 failed: Cannot assign requested address
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[856]: unable to create socket on vmnet1 (6) for [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen and drop on 0 v6wildcard [::]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen and drop on 1 v4wildcard 0.0.0.0:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 2 lo 127.0.0.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 3 vmnet1 172.16.98.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 4 vmnet8 192.168.251.1:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 5 lo [::1]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 6 vmnet1 [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:1%3]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 7 vmnet8 [fe80::250:56ff:fec0:8%4]:123
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: Listening on routing socket on fd #24 for interface updates
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x41: Clock Unsynchronized
15 Mar 18:09:26 ntpd[875]: kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x41: Clock Unsynchronized
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 8 enp4s0 192.168.0.50:123
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 9 enp4s0 [2804:14d:4cd1:923e::1001]:123
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: Listen normally on 10 enp4s0 [fe80::8880:4cdb:5828:4a48%2]:123
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: 200.160.7.196 local addr 192.168.251.1 -> 192.168.0.50
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: 216.238.102.201 local addr 192.168.251.1 -> 192.168.0.50
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: 162.159.200.123 local addr 192.168.251.1 -> 192.168.0.50
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: 192.36.143.130 local addr 192.168.251.1 -> 192.168.0.50
15 Mar 18:09:36 ntpd[875]: new interface(s) found: waking up resolver

ntpd starts after login with SDDM login manager:

$ systemctl status ntpd
● ntpd.service - Network Time Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/ntpd.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sat 2025-03-15 18:09:26 -03; 14min ago
 Invocation: 05b0b75aee5d4531a6b4023b9fd153f7
    Process: 870 ExecStart=/usr/bin/ntpd -g -u ntp:ntp (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   Main PID: 875 (ntpd)
      Tasks: 2 (limit: 38325)
     Memory: 1.3M (peak: 2.1M)
        CPU: 43ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/ntpd.service
             └─875 /usr/bin/ntpd -g -u ntp:ntp

mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[870]: corporation.  Support and training for ntp-4 are
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[870]: available at https://www.nwtime.org/support
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[870]: ----------------------------------------------------
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[870]: DEBUG behavior is enabled - a violation of any diagnostic assertion will cause ntpd to abort
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[875]: proto: precision = 0.042 usec (-24)
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[875]: basedate set to 2024-10-15
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[875]: gps base set to 2024-10-20 (week 2337)
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[875]: initial drift restored to 9.134491
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC ntpd[875]: switching logging to file /var/log/ntp.log
mar 15 18:09:26 Arch-PC systemd[1]: Started Network Time Service.

How to make ntpd to start on boot without disabling vmware-networks service?
Thanks for reading.

Last edited by Strangiato (2025-03-16 13:49:04)

-thc · 2025-03-16 06:50:58

The binding to the link-local IPv6 address of one of the VMWare adapters (MAC 00:50:56) fails.

You can try restricting NTP to IPv4 only. Edit the unit

systemctl edit ntpd

and replace the "ExecStart" line via drop-in override file:

[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ntpd -4 -g -u ntp:ntp

seth · 2025-03-16 07:29:05

You could also try "ntpd -I enp4s0 …" to restrict it to that NIC.

Edit: resp. instead of that deprecated parameter use the interface option in ntp.conf which allows you to ignore certain NICs

Last edited by seth (2025-03-16 07:31:27)

Strangiato · 2025-03-16 13:48:28

I have added this line to /etc/ntp.conf file:

interface ignore vmnet1

Problem solved.
Thank you all for the help.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-03-15 21:31:26

[Solved] If vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start

#2 2025-03-16 06:50:58

Re: [Solved] If vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start

#3 2025-03-16 07:29:05

Re: [Solved] If vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start

#4 2025-03-16 13:48:28

Re: [Solved] If vmware-networks service is enabled, ntpd fails to start

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