Real Time Clock dead?

[birdman]

The power to my SheevaPlug was cut two days ago, and on rebooting the system started on 1 Jan 2000.

ntpd fixes this once it gets going, but the system does now start after reboot with the wrong time, which didn't use to happen.

Trying to run the rtctest.c program (in src/Documentation/rtc.txt) produces a timeout to /dev/rtc0. 

Is this recoverable?  I can live with it - just need to make sure that things like boinc don't start until after ntp is up,  rather than its default of "as soon as the file systems are there".

[guidol]

Is this recoverable?  I can live with it - just need to make sure that things like boinc don't start until after ntp is up,  rather than its default of "as soon as the file systems are there".

Take a look at http://elinux.org/images/9/97/Sheevaplug-mobo.png
on the Motherboard is a silver-coin battery which could be empty ( the coin-batterys are now 2-4 years old ).

Replace it and restart and set your clock - then all should be OK

[birdman]

Thanks.  I'll give that a go.

Minor problem at first as:

• I couldn't get one the case apart (one of the screws was locked in place, but eventually I won).
• I have a Rev1.3 motherboard, which looks different and doesn't have the big silver button form the middle of the image.  Then I realized that's not the battery....

It's an AG10.  So I'll look for a local supplier tomorrow.

[birdman]

It's an AG10.  So I'll look for a local supplier tomorrow.

And then take another 4 days to install it.
But many thanks - the hardware clock is now working again!
PS: The battery size is also a 389 or SR54 (amongst many others, but the numbers seem to be the same - the packaging on mine says SR54, the battery itself says 389).