On 2025-04-18 10:12, Tim Parenti via tz wrote:
On Fri, 18 Apr 2025 at 04:00, Collin Funk via tz <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
The generated leapseconds file mentions the data can be retrieved from
ftp.boulder.nist.gov/pub/time/leap-seconds.list <http://
ftp.boulder.nist.gov/pub/time/leap-seconds.list>, but the domain no
longer resolves.
The domain definitely still resolves:
$ dig ftp.boulder.nist.gov <http://ftp.boulder.nist.gov>
<…snipped…>
;; ANSWER SECTION:
ftp.boulder.nist.gov <http://ftp.boulder.nist.gov>. 300 IN A 132.163.4.45
<…snipped…>
An ftp client can still connect to this server and the relevant file is still
present:
$ ftp ftp.boulder.nist.gov <http://ftp.boulder.nist.gov>
Trying 132.163.4.45:21 <http://132.163.4.45:21> ...
Connected to ftp.boulder.nist.gov <http://ftp.boulder.nist.gov>.
220 ProFTPD Server (NIST Time/Frequency Division FTP Server)
[::ffff:10.88.0.2]
Name (ftp.boulder.nist.gov:root): anonymous
331 Anonymous login ok, send your complete email address as your password
Password:
<…snipped…>
230 Anonymous access granted, restrictions apply
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> ls pub/time/leap-seconds.list
229 Entering Extended Passive Mode (|||20091|)
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 ftp ftp 10921 Feb 7 2024 pub/time/leap-
seconds.list
226 Transfer complete
Indeed, you can generally skip these steps by using something like `curl`:
curl ftp://ftp.boulder.nist.gov/pub/time/leap-seconds.list <ftp://
ftp.boulder.nist.gov/pub/time/leap-seconds.list> > leap-seconds-NIST.list
However, I note that the version of the file which is present on the NIST server
is dated 2024-02-07 and has an expiration date of 2024-12-28. It's not clear
whether this is just another temporary lapse on NIST's end or whether this
points to a more recent deprecation of service of some sort. For what it's
worth, other files on that server, namely in the wwvb directory, do appear to
still be receiving (automated) updates.
Perhaps part of the confusion here is that a URL with the ftp:// protocol can no
longer be naïvely pasted into a modern web browser. As FTP usage declined
steeply over the last decade or two, browsers have broadly dropped their once-
native support for the FTP protocol. For example, Firefox 90 and Chrome 95
completely removed this functionality back in July and October 2021,
respectively. In both cases, such functionality had even by that point already
been deprecated, disabled-by-default, and on the chopping block for several years:
https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2021/07/20/stopping-ftp-support-in-firefox-90/
<https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2021/07/20/stopping-ftp-support-in-firefox-90/>
https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/firefox_ends_ftp_support/ <https://
www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/firefox_ends_ftp_support/>
https://developer.chrome.com/blog/deps-rems-95 <https://developer.chrome.com/
blog/deps-rems-95>
https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/20/ftp_chrome_95/ <https://
www.theregister.com/2021/10/20/ftp_chrome_95/>
We have many other FTP references throughout tzdata, so as long as useful data
is still being served (which may indeed be an open question), it doesn't make
any more sense to drop reference to this one than any of the others.
Note that it appears that Boulder is now the only source for NIST T&F FTP data:
https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-distribution/internet-time-service-its
Links to current bulletins and some other data archives are available at:
https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-realization/time-scale-data-and-bulletin-archive
It still looks as if there will be no decision on leap seconds until 2035, and
DUT1 keeps heading towards zero in different directions, but some are thinking
we might need a *negative* leap second before then?
[With the way things are going, and evidence pointing to policy being developed
based on LLM outputs, fed by opinions on social media, it seems possible that
atomic time keeping, or all NIST, could be defunded in the US!]
--
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada
La perfection est atteinte Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retrancher but when there is no more to cut
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
