rdate ☆

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Description:
Set the system's date from a remote host

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: time-sync networking system-utility cli rfc868

Install: brew install rdate

About:
Rdate is a simple command-line utility designed to synchronize the system clock with a remote time server. It retrieves the current time from an RFC 868 protocol host and sets the local system date and time accordingly. This tool provides a lightweight alternative to full NTP implementations for straightforward time synchronization tasks.

Key Features:

Simple RFC 868 protocol implementation
Lightweight and minimal dependencies
Command-line interface for easy scripting
Direct system time setting capability

Use Cases:

Initial system clock synchronization on boot
Manual time correction on isolated networks
Scripting and automation for time-sensitive tasks

Alternatives:

ntp – NTP is a full-featured suite offering higher precision and continuous synchronization, whereas rdate provides a simple one-shot time set.
chrony – Chrony is an advanced NTP implementation optimized for variable network conditions and intermittent connectivity, offering more robustness than rdate.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 16, 2025 1:22am		0	VERSION_BUMP	4c0441ca
Sep 14, 2024 11:05am		0	VERSION_BUMP	c55169df