---
name: "calc_tickadj"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ntp"
version: "4.2.8.p18-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/calc_tickadj"
---

# calc\_tickadj(1)

Calculates optimal value for tick given ntp drift file.

## NAME

**calc\_tickadj** - Calculates optimal value for tick given ntp drift file.

## SYNOPSIS

**calc\_tickadj** \[**-flags**\] \[**-flag** \[*value*\]\] \[**--option-name**\[\[=\| \]*value*\]\]

All arguments must be options.

## DESCRIPTION

The **calc\_tickadj** script uses provided ntp drift file to generate optimal tick value. Generally, ntpd can do better job if the drift value is the smallest possible number.

The example output of \

```
$ ./calc_tickadj
81.699 (drift)
9999 usec; 9999779 nsec
$ cat /etc/ntp/drift
-23.159
```

means the following. If tick on that box is 10,000, by making the value 9999 we'll shift the box from its current drift of -23.159 to a drift of 81.699, and in doing so we'll speed the clock up a little every second instead of slowing the clock down a little.

If 'tick' on that box is 10,000,000 then by setting it to 9999779 the drift value will be somewhere around 0.0.

**calc\_tickadj** tries to determine the the tick value by using **tickadj** program from ntp package. If this doesn't work you can specify current tick manually on command line.

## OPTIONS

- **-d** *string*, **--drift-file**=*string*

  Ntp drift file to use. The default *string* for this option is:\
    /etc/ntp/drift

  Use the specified drift file for calculations

- **-t** *number*, **--tick**=*number*

  Tick value of this host. This option takes an integer number as its argument.

  The current tick which to adjustment will be calculated

- **-?**, **--help**

  Display usage information and exit.

- **-!**, **--more-help**

  Pass the extended usage information through a pager.

- **-v** \[{*v\|c\|n* **--version** \[{*v\|c\|n*}\]}\]

  Output version of program and exit.  The default mode is \`v', a simple version.  The \`c' mode will print copyright information and \`n' will print the full copyright notice.

## EXIT STATUS

One of the following exit values will be returned:

- 0 (EXIT\_SUCCESS)

  Successful program execution.

- 1 (EXIT\_FAILURE)

  The operation failed or the command syntax was not valid.

- 70 (EX\_SOFTWARE)

  libopts had an internal operational error.  Please report it to autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net.  Thank you.

## NOTES

This manual page was *AutoGen*-erated from the **calc\_tickadj** option definitions.