TZSETUP(8)

🌸 NAME 🌸 — tzsetup(8)

okay bestie, this is tzsetup(8), straight out of the System Manager's Manual, and it’s here to set local timezone for you. Iconic. ✨

🕰️ SYNOPSIS 🕰️

tzsetup [-nrs] [-C chroot_directory] [zoneinfo_file | zoneinfo_name]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So basically, tzsetup reads a whole database of timezone info and serves it up as a menu, so you can pick your exact zone without needing to know the database layout like some kind of timezone archivist. The zone you pick gets installed as the system default zone. It also checks whether any adjustment is necessary for systems where the hardware clock does not keep UTC. Very considerate. 🫶

🎀 the options, bestie 🎀

The following options are available:

• -C chroot_directory — opens all files and directories relative to chroot_directory. chroot moment. 💅
• -n — do not create or symlink files. no new little file babies. 🙈
• -r — reinstall the zoneinfo file installed last time. the name is obtained from /var/db/zoneinfo. so it’s giving “run it back.” 🔥
• -s — skip the initial question about adjusting the clock if not set to UTC. tzsetup will neither create nor delete /etc/wall_cmos_clock. on a newly installed system, the hardware clock will keep UTC. periodt. 🎀

It is possible to short-circuit the menu system by specifying the location of a zoneinfo_file or the name of the zoneinfo_name on the command line; this is intended mainly for pre-configured installation scripts or people who know which zoneinfo they want to install. iykyk. 🦋

🗺️ TIMEZONE DATABASE 🗺️

The contents of the timezone database are indexed by /usr/share/zoneinfo/zone1970.tab. This file lists, for each timezone data file, the ISO 3166 territory code, approximate geographical coordinates (in ISO 6709 format), and location within the territory. it’s basically the timezone directory’s little ID card. 📇✨

The maintainers of the database maintain the following policies:

1. At least one zone for every country or inhabited geographical territory.
2. One zone for every distinct, documented timezone history since the beginning of the Unix epoch (January 1, 1970, GMT).
3. Each zone is named for the most populous city therein. (Where possible, the database includes pre-1970 history for its city.)

The source code to the database (/usr/src/contrib/tzdata/[a-z]*) contains many additional comments and documentation references for the historically minded. history girlies, this one’s for you. 📚💜

📁 FILES 📁

• /etc/localtime — current time zone file
• /etc/wall_cmos_clock — see adjkerntz(8)
• /usr/share/misc/iso3166 — mapping of ISO 3166 territory codes to names
• /usr/share/zoneinfo — directory for zoneinfo files
• /usr/share/zoneinfo/zone1970.tab — mapping of timezone file to country and location
• /var/db/zoneinfo — saved name of the timezone file installed last

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

Normal usage, to select the right zoneinfo file via the dialog-based user interface:

# tzsetup

Install the file /usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/Sydney:

# tzsetup /usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/Sydney

Install the zoneinfo file for Australia/Sydney, assumed to be located in /usr/share/zoneinfo:

# tzsetup Australia/Sydney

After a reinstall of the zoneinfo files, you can reinstall the latest installed zoneinfo file (as specified in /var/db/zoneinfo):

# tzsetup -r

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

go read these, bestie:

• date(1)
• adjtime(2)
• ctime(3)
• timezone(3)
• tzfile(5)
• adjkerntz(8)
• zdump(8)
• zic(8)

⚠️ DISCLAIMER ⚠️

The representation of certain localities as being associated with certain countries and/or territories is for the purposes of identification only, and does not imply any endorsement or rejection on the part of the FreeBSD Project of the territorial claims of any entity. important, no cap. 🫡

🐛 BUGS 🐛

Programs which are already running when tzsetup creates or updates /etc/localtime will not reflect the updated timezone. When the system is first configured for a non-UTC hardware clock, it is necessary to run adjkerntz(8) (which normally happens as a part of system startup) in order to update the kernel's idea of the correct timezone offset. lowkey important, so don’t skip it. 😭🔥

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xoxo, Debian 💖 — dated June 14, 2024, and this is TZSETUP(8), periodt. 🎀🦋💅