Bug 795594

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #623237 +++

Description of problem:
Attempting to ntp sync using firstboot to set the date & time gives an error dialog:
"Couldn't write either /etc/ntp.conf or /etc/sysconfig/network.
Configuration unchanged."
The install will not continue unless you think to UNcheck "Synchronize date and time over the network"

The same message appears if you try via System > Administration > Date & Time and check "Synchronize date and time over the network"

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
# rpm -qa | grep -E "date|ntp"
system-config-date-1.9.59-1.fc13.noarch
ntpdate-4.2.6p1-2.fc13.i686
rdate-1.4-14.fc12.i686
python-dateutil-1.4.1-4.fc12.noarch
ntp-4.2.6p1-2.fc13.i686

How reproducible: Every time, tried on several installed F13s and a new/clean spin of F13 from fedora-kickstarts-0.13.5-1.fc13.noarch.  Changes to the deault scripts were to turn both the firewall and selinux off

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open System > Administration > Date & Time (or run from firstboot after install)
2. check "Synchronize date and time over the network"
3. Click "OK"
  
Actual results:
Error box: "Couldn't write either /etc/ntp.conf or /etc/sysconfig/network.
Configuration unchanged."

Expected results:
Time & date set

Additional info: 
I've tried "NETWORKWAIT=yes" in /etc/sysconfig/network, no help
I've tried various combinations of starting & stopping ntp-releated services but the only useful one is to "chkconfig ntpd off" in a kickstart file, which causes "Synchronize date and time over the network" to be unchecked by default.

--- Additional comment from nphilipp on 2010-08-24 05:35:22 EDT ---

I can't reproduce that here. Please run system-config-date again, this time from the command line/terminal and post any error messages here, along with the output of these commands:

ls -l /etc/ntp.conf /etc/sysconfig/network
ls -lZ /etc/ntp.conf /etc/sysconfig/network

NB: You shouldn't (need to) turn off SELinux nowadays. Is there any particular reason why you felt you had to do that?

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-08-30 15:07:24 EDT ---

Hello Nils.

Sorry for the delayed response.  I was training for my RHCT last week (passed!) so I did not gave an opportunity to run your tests until today.

# system-config-date
Returns:
[Errno 61] No data available
When I check "Synchronize date and time over the network" and hit OK.

# ls -l /etc/ntp.conf /etc/sysconfig/network
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1915 Jun 16 10:02 /etc/ntp.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   41 Jun 16 09:48 /etc/sysconfig/network

# ls -lZ /etc/ntp.conf /etc/sysconfig/network
-rw-r--r-- root root ?                                /etc/ntp.conf
-rw-r--r-- root root ?                                /etc/sysconfig/network

FWIW, I turn off SELinux in kickstart because I pull all of the SELinux tools out of the build to keep the size under my self-imposed limit.  It seems like a cleaner solution to turn it off if it is not available.

Thanks,
Dave

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-08-30 18:09:15 EDT ---

Taking your hint, I let SELinux relable my disk and put it in "permissive" mode.
Once I did that, system-config-date & the ntp check box function correctly.

It appears system-config-date no longer works unless SELinux is enabled.

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-08-31 09:52:36 EDT ---

I put the default (?) SELinux stuff back in my build and it added about 27MB to the size.
That is a Bad Thing (tm).  I have about 9MB of free space for the build.
If there is a minimal SELinux installation that can be used that is less than 10MB then I will be happy to add it, otherwise I think system-config-date should be fixed to work without SELinux again.

--- Additional comment from nphilipp on 2010-08-31 12:02:21 EDT ---

Hi Dave, it seems as if some things were broken if SELinux is switched off, see bug #627788, so please try out if things work with python-slip-0.2.13:

https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc13

This needs libselinux/libselinux-python, but shouldn't need a complete SELinux stack.

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-08-31 12:30:31 EDT ---

Hello Nils.

I updated the 3 python-slip files from your Koji link:
python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc13.noarch
python-slip-dbus-0.2.13-1.fc13.noarch
python-slip-gtk-0.2.13-1.fc13.noarch

I also have the following libselinux packages from the default repos:
libselinux-utils-2.0.90-5.fc13.i686
libselinux-2.0.90-5.fc13.i686
libselinux-python-2.0.90-5.fc13.i686

After applying the updates, system-config-date & the ntp checkbox seems to be working as designed.

I would say you could add # 623237 to the Bugs Fixed list for your patch.
Hopefully you can get it pushed to testing & updates in the not too distant future.

Thanks for the help!
Dave

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-09-01 04:46:56 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc13 has been submitted as an update for Fedora 13.
https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc13

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-09-01 04:47:17 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc12 has been submitted as an update for Fedora 12.
https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc12

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-09-01 04:47:50 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc14 has been submitted as an update for Fedora 14.
https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc14

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-09-01 10:48:45 EDT ---

Quick update:  I am creating some test kickstart builds with the new packages.

So far, it looks like the anaconda installer does not like to run if SELinux is in permissive mode.  I am trying to create a new image with the python-slip updates and once dine I will try installing with SELinux in various modes.

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-09-01 18:31:08 EDT ---

Updating the packages after installing seems to work but I am having a bear of a time trying to get them to work in a live image.  The hard disk installer crashes not far into the install process.  (Bug 629320)

--- Additional comment from warrior_62095 on 2010-09-02 13:16:39 EDT ---

The crash on install is due to Bug 626780.

Making sure the kickstart does not update NetworkManager components past v. 0.8.1-1 seems to solve the issue.

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-09-02 16:37:46 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc13 has been pushed to the Fedora 13 stable repository.  If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-10-01 08:25:10 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc14 has been pushed to the Fedora 14 stable repository.  If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.

--- Additional comment from updates on 2010-10-08 16:39:20 EDT ---

python-slip-0.2.13-1.fc12 has been pushed to the Fedora 12 stable repository.  If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.