rkik

User Guide

This guide explains how to install and use RKIK to probe and compare NTP servers.

Installation

AUR (Arch Linux and derivatives)

A development package rkik-git is available:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/rkik-git.git
cd rkik-git
makepkg -si

With a helper (example yay):

yay -S rkik-git

Nix / NixOS

RKIK is packaged in nixpkgs as rkik (availability/version depends on the channel):

# temporary shell
nix shell nixpkgs#rkik
# install into user profile
nix-env -iA nixpkgs.rkik

Binaries / Linux packages

Archives and .deb/.rpm are published in GitHub Releases.

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ./rkik_X.Y.Z-R_amd64.deb

# Fedora/RHEL/Alma/Rocky
sudo dnf install rkik-X.Y.Z-R.x86_64.rpm

From source

git clone https://github.com/aguacero7/rkik.git
cd rkik
cargo build --release
sudo install -m 0755 target/release/rkik /usr/local/bin/rkik

Usage

Probe a single server

rkik pool.ntp.org
rkik --server time.cloudflare.com

Compare multiple servers (asynchronous)

rkik --compare time.google.com,time.cloudflare.com,0.de.pool.ntp.org
rkik --compare time1 time2 time3 --format json

IPv6-only

rkik -6 --server 2.pool.ntp.org -j

Output formats

• --format text (default) — human-readable.
• --format json — detailed, stable.
• --format simple — minimal text (timestamp, name/port).
• --format json-short — compact ({"utc": "...", "name": "...", "port": 123}). Aliases: -j/--json, -S/--short.

Continuous mode

# two measurements, 1s apart
rkik --server time.cloudflare.com --count 2 --interval 1 --short

# infinite loop (Ctrl-C to stop)
rkik --server time.google.com --infinite --format json

For ingestion into a SIEM/log pipeline, prefer --format json and collect one JSON object per line.

Targets host[:port]

rkik time.google.com:123
rkik [2606:4700:f1::123]:123

Colors

Disable all coloring:

rkik --no-color
# or environment variable
NO_COLOR=1 rkik ...

Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

RKIK can inspect IEEE 1588 masters using the new --ptp mode (feature ptp, enabled by default).

# Basic probe against domain 0 (default ports 319/320)
rkik --ptp 192.0.2.1

# Custom domain and ports (useful for lab setups)
rkik --ptp --ptp-domain 24 --ptp-event-port 3319 --ptp-general-port 3320 127.0.0.1

# Verbose JSON output with diagnostics
rkik --ptp --verbose --format json --pretty ptp.lab.local

Available flags:

• --ptp — enable PTP mode (mutually exclusive with --nts/--sync)
• --ptp-domain — domain number (default 0)
• --ptp-event-port / --ptp-general-port — override UDP ports (defaults 319/320)
• --ptp-hw-timestamp — request hardware timestamping (reported in diagnostics)

PTP shares the existing features (compare mode, plugin mode, JSON/short outputs). Offsets are displayed in nanoseconds and detailed master metadata appears in verbose mode.

Local Test Environment

A ready-made Docker Compose lab with three NTP servers and a LinuxPTP grandmaster is included.

./scripts/test-env-up.sh           # start containers
rkik 127.0.0.1:3123                # query lab NTP primary
rkik --ptp --ptp-event-port 3319 127.0.0.1   # query lab PTP master
./scripts/test-env-down.sh         # stop containers

See docs/TEST_ENV.md for topology details, port mapping, and troubleshooting tips.

Troubleshooting

• Resolution failed: check DNS / try -6 if needed.
• Timeout: open UDP/123.
• Inconsistent offsets: verify local clock and repeatability.

FAQ

• IPv6 supported? Yes, -6.
• More than 2 servers? Yes, --compare accepts N≥2, all in parallel.
• Adjust the system clock? Yes, --sync requirements: (Unix, root)

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