7.4.3. Date and time zone

Setting time information is usually done at installation time. After that, it can be kept up to date using an NTP (Network Time Protocol) client. Most Linux systems run ntpd by default:

debby:~> ps -ef | grep ntpd
ntp      24678     1  0  2002 ?        00:00:33 ntpd -U ntp

You can run ntpdate manually to set the time, on condition that you can reach a time server. The ntpd daemon should not be running when you adjust the time using ntpdate. Use a time server as argument to the command:

root@box:~# ntpdate 10.2.5.200
26 Oct 14:35:42 ntpdate[20364]: adjust time server 10.2.5.200 offset
 -0.008049 sec

See your system manual and the documentation that comes with the NTP package. Most desktop managers include tools to set the system time, providing that you have access to the system administrator's account.

For setting the time zone correct, you can use tzconfig or timezone commands. Timezone information is usually set during the installation of your machine. Many systems have distribution-specific tools to configure it, see your system documentation.