Rocky Linux 8 is a robust and secure operating system that offers a wide range of features for businesses and individuals. One important aspect of managing your Rocky Linux 8 system is configuring the timezone. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of changing the timezone on Rocky Linux 8 using the timedatectl command. By following these steps, you can ensure that your system is set to the correct timezone, which is essential for accurate timekeeping and scheduling.

Checking the Current TimeZone

Before making any changes, it’s important to check the current timezone on your Rocky Linux 8 system. To do this, you can use the timedatectl command, which provides detailed information about your system’s date, time, and timezone.

timedatectl

The output of the command will display information such as the local time, universal time, RTC time, time zone, system clock synchronization status, and NTP service status. Take note of the current timezone displayed in the output as you will need it later.

Locating the Timezone Configuration

The timezone configuration on Rocky Linux 8 is stored in the /etc/localtime file. This file is a symbolic link to a specific timezone file located under the /usr/share/zoneinfo directory. To get a basic view of the timezone configuration, you can use the ls command on the /etc/localtime file.

ls -l /etc/localtime

The output will show the symbolic link pointing to the actual timezone file. Make a note of the timezone file location as it will be required when setting the new timezone.

Listing Available TimeZones

Rocky Linux 8 provides a wide range of timezones to choose from. To list all the available timezones, you can use the timedatectl command with the list-timezones option.

timedatectl list-timezones

The command will output an extensive list of timezones in alphabetical order. Take your time to find the timezone that corresponds to your desired location.

Changing the TimeZone

Once you have identified the timezone you want to set, you can use the timedatectl command to change it. The syntax for changing the timezone is as follows:

timedatectl set-timezone your_time_zone

Replace your_time_zone with the timezone you want to set. For example, if you want to set the timezone to “Africa/Dakar,” the command would be:

timedatectl set-timezone Africa/Dakar

After executing the command, you can confirm that the changes have been applied by running the timedatectl command again.

timedatectl

The output will display the updated timezone information, indicating that the change was successful.

Additional Configuration Options

In addition to changing the timezone, the timedatectl command offers several other configuration options that you may find useful. Here are a few examples:

Setting the Date and Time

You can use the set-time option to manually set the system’s date and time. The syntax for this command is as follows:

timedatectl set-time "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS"

Replace "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" with the desired date and time in the format “Year-Month-Day Hour:Minute:Second.”

Enabling NTP Synchronization

NTP (Network Time Protocol) allows your system to synchronize its clock with a remote time server. To enable NTP synchronization, you can use the set-ntp option with either true or false as the parameter. For example:

timedatectl set-ntptrue

Setting the RTC Time

The RTC (Real-Time Clock) is a hardware component that keeps track of the current time even when the system is powered off. By default, Rocky Linux 8 does not store the RTC time in the local timezone. However, you can enable this feature by using the set-local-rtc option with either true or false as the parameter. For example:

timedatectl set-local-rtctrue

Conclusion

Configuring the timezone on your Rocky Linux 8 system is a straightforward process that can be done using the timedatectl command. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily change the timezone to reflect your desired location. Additionally, the timedatectl command offers other configuration options that allow you to set the date and time, enable NTP synchronization, and adjust the RTC time. With these tools at your disposal, you can ensure that your Rocky Linux 8 system is accurately configured for timekeeping and scheduling.

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Christian Wells