If the multicast client command is included in the ntp.conf, the daemon generates an error, and doesn't seem to ever synchronize time. Result is non-functional ntp.
Syntax is multicastclient or multicastclient 224.0.1.1 You need a kernel with multicast configured and a multicast server for multicast NTP to synchronize.
Just did a bunch more testing, and indeed the multicast DOES work, despite the error message from xntpd at startup. The error at startup is: Jan 14 23:58:20 peanut xntpd[24535]: bind() fd 12, family 2, port 123, addr e0000101, in_classd=1 flags=0 fails: Address already in use Jan 14 23:58:20 peanut xntpd[24535]: ...multicast address 224.0.1.1 using wildcard socket Since the code does go on and work, why the error message? Something seems at least somewhat odd.
The error message is due to xntp dynamic probes that determine the correct mode to run in.