Thread: NTP and C

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    NTP and C

    Is there any simple way to get Network time (UTC) in ansi C through NTP or other protocols?

  2. #2
    Kernel hacker
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    Depends on how you define "simple". There are libraries that allow you to access the network, such as Winsock(2) for Windows, and the BSD socket API for many other OS's [these two are, at least in essense, the SAME, just named slightly differently between Windows and other OS']. This allows you to use the TCP/IP protocol, which NTP relies on.

    Then it's a case of implementing the NTP client behaviour. I have never worked on that, so I can't say. But here's an implementation:
    http://doolittle.icarus.com/ntpclient/

    The ntpclient.c, which is the main part of that code, is 700+ lines. Not what I'd call trivial, but if you know what you are doing, it would probably be done in a couple of weeks.

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

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