Time and Date in Boot.Configuration

The new Time and date Boot.Configuration icon shows “Set from network” option. I tried this but can’t get it to work – has anyone else succeeded?

It works here.
What have you tried and which step doesn’t work?
Does the network work? ping, netsurf etc.?
What is you hardware? Beagleboard, Pandaboard, Iyonix etc.?

There are some issues around. You need the module ‘NetTime’ for example (now in the ROM, I think). Early versions would not set the clock unless it had already been set. But I thought the issues has all been sorted out…

There is a manual way to make it try to set the time (*NetTime_Kick I think) otherwise it tries every so often.

Thanks for your comments guys. Now I know it works I’ll have a poke around and see whether I can coax it into action. Running on BB -xM. NetSurf seems to be OK.

Check if the variable Inet$NTPServer is set. If it is then the “Set from network” options will be shaded.

Now working. Annoyingly I don’t know what I’ve done but thanks for the helpful comments.

A summary…..

Using NetTime V0.40 (10 Apr 12) there are two useful commands, one mentioned by Chris is NetTime_Kick and the other NetTime_Status. With the clock set to an erroneous date and time NetTime_Kick forces the clock to synchronise with the appropriate internet time server. NetTime_Status will check when the “kick” command was issued and report the server used. I assume the “Try” button in the Time and date Boot.Configuration window does the same thing (if successful it reports – Sync success).

My ignorance showing again but Fred just as a matter of interest how do I check that Inet%NTPServer is set. I’m sure there is a TaskWindow command to do this but I can’t remember.

This is a major improvement on the old method where the Network User option text file had to have some additional commands appended to it to make it work.

If the variable Inet$NTPServer is set, than most likely it is set in the Network User option text file.

Not set in my User option text file.

My ignorance showing again but Fred just as a matter of interest how do I check that Inet%NTPServer is set. I’m sure there is a TaskWindow command to do this but I can’t remember.

The *Show command will display the value of a variable, or nothing if it’s not defined.

Entering “*Show Inet$NTPServer” (without the quotes) in a TaskWindow will show if the variable is set.

If the variable Inet$NTPServer is set, than most likely it is set in the Network User option text file.

Try looking in Choices:Internet.User, that’s where it’s here.

Thanks Fred – yes of course its the *Show command.

On the BB, in Choices > Internet > User I do indeed have the command…..
Set Inet$NTPserver ntp1 npl.co.uk but it is inhibited from running with the | prefix. So *Show Inet$NTPServer returns nothing.

The clock still seems to run happily from the network. Even though its a diferent server (uk.pool.ntp.org) surely it must have to be set somewhere?

In the OMAP3 image of August 23rd, the “Set from the network” section is greyed out. The BBxM is on the network (I just picked up email) and Inet$NTPServer is set.

Working here with 23rd ROM/disc image. I did replace the Desktop & PreDesktop files with those from RO510Hook but I’m not sure that would be relevant.

I’ve checked that !TimeSetup’s components are all identical to those provided in the self-extracting HardDisc4 image of August 23. I can even run the !TimeSetup app from the extracted RO500Hook.Res.Configure directory, with the same results: the network time section is greyed out.

Just reading more carefully above: I’ve unset Inet$NTPServer, and the section is still greyed out.

Does it have to be unset before any of the configuration apps is run for the first time?

I only update RISC OS occasionally; I suppose I must have missed something along the way.

It could be something earlier, as you say. Only thing I can think of offhand is a while back I noticed that Configure → Network → Network configuration → Internet configuration → Interfaces, was showing as unconfigured but hadn’t stopped access.

I ticked EtherUSB and reconfigured for DHCP for the sake of it but it seemed it was just the user interface out of step. Again, probably won’t help you.

the “Set from the network” section is greyed out.

There’s a lack of clarity in that statement for me to be sure, so I’ll just guess.
If the whole section is greyed out, including the radio icon next to the words “Set from network”, then you don’t have a (new enough?) NetTime module.
If you can select the radio icon, but can’t type anything in the server name box because it is greyed out then something has set Inet$NTPServer or Inet$TimeServer. If you are using DHCP, it’s quite probably the Internet module itself if your DHCP server is set up to report that.

Aha! Thanks, it was that I still had an old NetTime module. I’ve merged the new !System.

… but now, for some bizarre reason, the BBxM is coming up with an IP address of 10.106.22.3

It is configured to get its IP address from its hostname. The hostname and the Hosts file are still present, and should assign it an address of 192.168.16.69. Where on earth a 10.×.y.z address comes from, I don’t know, and I would appreciate any clues!

coming up with an IP address of 10.×.y.z

I think that’s a change in the Freeway module, and I think Jeffrey Lee also mentioned he’d seen it doing something odd. I’m afraid I don’t have a silver bullet (maybe *UNPLUG Freeway?) for that one!

I must be blind but I can’t seem to change the year except by going through all the months. So if I want to change it to say December 2013 I need to click 16 times!

I can’t seem to change the year except by going through all the months

If you run !Help, and direct your gaze towards its wise words, your question will be answered.

In some ways offering shift on the month change arrows to give year change does seem quite neat, but I’d be very surprised if it was style guide compatible and it wasn’t intuitive to me and my colleague! Is there any official apps that use such an idea?
IIRC Having single and double arrows left and right is often used in similar circumstances. The window is dedicated to time and date so there are no space constrictions and I’m not sure why year change wasn’t included in a clear obvious way.

Here’s some more feedback: The “Not connected” message when trying to configure NetTime could do with being a bit more verbose, e.g. “You haven’t configured your internet connection yet you silly fool”. I’m not sure how you’d fit that into the current text box, though.

Here’s some more feedback: The “Not connected” message when trying to configure NetTime could do with being a bit more verbose

All I seemed to get was “Busy” when I tried recently. My internet connection seemed fine.

Here’s some more feedback: The “Not connected” message when trying to configure NetTime could do with being a bit more verbose

For a user interface it’s trying to get the balance of simple versus detailed/technical. It bases its description on the status from NetTime, which also deals with PPP links. Basically, if there’s no DNS working it has to conclude the PPP link is down (not connected) or the ethernet cable isn’t plugged in (not connected). But equally “I forgot to setup the gateway and/or DNS” would appear as not connected – it doesn’t attempt to distinguish those itself just as NetTime doesn’t.

All I seemed to get was “Busy” when I tried recently.

The text is only updated when first run, or when you press the ‘Try’ button. It’s not live, that would be distracting.