The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a cornerstone of the internet. It provides accurate time synchronization on millions of devices, but its C-based implementation, which dates back to the 1980s, is showing its age. In this episode, we talk to Folkert de Vries, Systems Software Engineer at Tweede Golf, about their work on reimplementing NTP in Rust as part of Project Pendulum.
ntpd-rs is an open-source implementation of the Network Time Protocol, completely written in Rust with the goal of creating a modern, memory-safe implementation of the NTP protocol.
Funding for the project came from the Internet Security Research Group and the Sovereign Tech Fund.

About Tweede Golf

Tweede Golf is a Dutch software consultancy that specializes in safe and privacy-friendly software. They work on projects that are critical for creating a safe internet infrastructure, protecting citizens' privacy, and securing connected devices with Embedded Rust.

Tweede Golf is also an organizing partner of RustNL, a conference about the Rust programming language, which takes place in the Netherlands.
About Folkert de Vries

Folkert is a Systems Software Engineer at Tweede Golf, where he works on low-level protocols that ensure the safety and security of the internet and devices connected to it. He is an open source maintainer and polyglot, working with and extending languages as diverse as Rust, Elm, and Roc.

Proudly Supported by CodeCrafters

CodeCrafters helps you become proficient in Rust by building real-world, production-grade projects. Learn hands-on by creating your own shell, HTTP server, Redis, Kafka, Git, SQLite, or DNS service from scratch. Start for free today and enjoy 40% off any paid plan by using this link.
Links From The Show

• The Roc programming language
• ntpd-rs - Implementation of the Network Time Protocol in Rust
• Network Time Protocol (NTP)
• Precision Time Protocol (PTP)
• Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP)
• sudo-rs - A memory safe implementation of sudo and su
• Fuzzing in Rust with cargo-fuzz
• Tokio Async Runtime
• Internet Security Research Group
• Sovereign Tech Fund

Official Links

• Tweede Golf
• Tweede Golf - About Folkert de Vries
• Folkert de Vries on GitHub
• Folkert de Vries on Twitter
• Folkert de Vries on LinkedIn
• Prossimo Project
• Project Pendulum
• RustNL Conference, May 7 & 8, 2024