Accurate system time is critical for SSL certificates, logs, cron jobs, and distributed systems. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS uses systemd-timesyncd as the default NTP client. This guide shows you how to configure and verify time synchronisation.

Tested and valid on:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server
A user with sudo privileges
Internet connectivity

Step 1 – Check Current Time Status

View the current time, timezone, and NTP status:

timedatectl

Step 2 – Enable and Start timesyncd

Ensure the service is running:

sudo systemctl enable systemd-timesyncd
sudo systemctl start systemd-timesyncd

Step 3 – Enable NTP Synchronisation

Activate time synchronisation:

sudo timedatectl set-ntp true
timedatectl show

Step 4 – Configure NTP Servers

Edit the timesyncd configuration:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf

Set your preferred pool:

[Time]
NTP=0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org 1.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org
FallbackNTP=ntp.ubuntu.com

Step 5 – Restart timesyncd

Apply the new configuration:

sudo systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd

Step 6 – Verify Synchronisation

Check the synchronisation source and offset:

timedatectl timesync-status

Step 7 – Set the Timezone

List available timezones:

timedatectl list-timezones | grep Europe

Set your timezone:

sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/London

Conclusion

Your Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server is now keeping accurate time via systemd-timesyncd. For higher-precision NTP requirements consider switching to chrony.

How to Sync Time with systemd-timesyncd on Ubuntu 24.04