NtpDate: Plug-in for Enigma2 Version 0.1.4 (August 2012)

This is a plug-in for Enigma 2, which allows configuring and using a time server from the internet to set the internal clock at startup and now also via timer again every few hours while the box is running. This can be used instead of or besides fetching the actual time at startup from the actual TV channel / transponder. Some transponders have the wrong time (or time zone).

The versions till 0.1.3 of the tool have had an issue with EPG: If the setup of the time from the transponder was switched off, then EPG didn't show any info after a cold boot. If both ways to set the time have been active, the autostart of this tool with setup of the clock from internet was done before the setup of the possibly wrong time from the transponder. A workaround was to re-boot the GUI via the menu. Now with version 0.1.4 the EPG is told with an eDVBLocalTimeHandler.getInstance().setUseDVBTime(True) command that the clock is set and then EPG seems to work correct, even if "Use Transponder Time" is switched off.

Now with version 0.1.4 also the eTimer from Enigma2 is used: The setup of the clock via internet van be delayed a few seconds to behind the setup from the actual transponder. So with both ways activated, Internet time has priority over transponder time. But if your internet connection is interrupted, then the hopefully correct transponder time is used.

Additionally it's now possible, to regularly run ntpdate again (repetition every few hours) to correct the time, while the box is running. I don't know, which maximum time in milliseconds the eTimer really accepts. 1h = 3600s = 3600000ms is working well! 1 week = 168h = 604800s = 604800000 ms = 0x240C8400 ms??

Installation and setup:

1. Download the NtpDate plug-in to your PC and extract the files.
2. Connect with an ftp tool (e.g. the Dreambox Control Center E2 "DCC-E2" or FireFox Add-On FireFTP may be used) to your QBoxHD (Username: root, PW: qboxhd) and go to the plug-in folder, which is on the QBoxHD /usr/local/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/Extensions. Put the downloaded files to a new folder NtpDate there.
3. As in the Linux operating system there is the ntpdate binary file missing, the tool brings this binary with them. If your box is not a QBoxHD and it has a different processor, you may need to replace that file by a binary suitable to your processor. E.g. for the Dreambox DM500HD this seems necessary!
   
4. Restart Enigma 2 (GUI restart) or alternatively reboot the whole Box
5. In the plug-in Browser there should now be the new "ntpdate". If your time zone is not "Central Europe", you need to delete the preset time servers and to configure a free accessible time server of your country or time zone and to configure that.
   
6. Without a delay for the 1st execution the auto-run of ntpdate comes before the time setup from the transponder and may overwrite then the setting from ntpdate again with the wrong values from the transponder.
   
7. Try it with the yellow button "Set network time now". 

Deactivate:

1. Turn on "Use Transponder Time"
2. Turn off "Auto Run ntpdate at boot"

Uninstallation:

1. Attention: You should turn on "Use Transponder Time" first via the setup of NtpDate!
   Workaround if you have forgotten this and the plug-in already deleted:
   
   1. via telnet send an init 4
      
   2. in the file /etc/enigma2/settings change the config.misc.useTransponderTime from false to true
   3. via telnet send an init 3
2. Delete (via ftp or Telnet) the NtpDate folder, which you created during setup.