bin/39893: rc.d/ntpd cannot reliably use pidfiles

[roy%marples.name@localhost]

>Number:         39893
>Category:       bin
>Synopsis:       rc.d/ntpd cannot reliably use pidfiles
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    bin-bug-people
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Nov 11 12:50:00 +0000 2008
>Originator:     Roy Marples
>Release:        NetBSD-5.99.01
>Organization:
>Environment:
NetBSD uberlaptop 5.99.01 NetBSD 5.99.01 (UBERLAPTOP) #1: Wed Nov  5 09:45:08 
GMT 2008  roy@uberlaptop:/usr/obj/sys/arch/i386/compile/UBERLAPTOP i386
>Description:
ntpd takes a while to create it's pidfile after forking.
This poses a problem to the rc.d/ntpd script which expects a fully working 
pidfile.

>How-To-Repeat:
# /etc/rc.d/ntpd restart; /etc/rc.d/ntpd status; /etc/rc.d/ntpd restart; 
/etc/rc.d/ntpd status
Stopping ntpd.
Waiting for PIDS: 4820.
Starting ntpd.
ntpd is not running.
ntpd not running? (check /var/run/ntpd.pid).
Starting ntpd.
ntpd is running as pid 5134.
>Fix:
Remove the pidfile directive from /etc/rc.d/ntpd and you then get this

# /etc/rc.d/ntpd restart; /etc/rc.d/ntpd status; /etc/rc.d/ntpd restart; 
/etc/rc.d/ntpd status
Stopping ntpd.
Waiting for PIDS: 5134.
Starting ntpd.
ntpd is running as pid 6335.
Stopping ntpd.
Waiting for PIDS: 6335.
Starting ntpd.
ntpd is running as pid 4852.

I also wrote a patch for ntpd to create the pidfile as early as possible. There 
is still a window, but it's much smaller.
https://support.ntp.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=794