How To Update Timezone In Linux/Unix System

Sometime you need to update your system timezone when you move your server from one location to another location. Recently our one user came across a situation where he want to move their server time zone from IST to Sydney time zone and he requested me to post a article on this topic that’s why through this article I will explain how to set system timezone of your Linux/Unix machine.

Update Time Zone In Linux/Unix

First check what is your system time zone typing below command:

# date
Mon Sep 11 10:18:49 IST 2017

In Linux timezone date command is taken from /etc/localtime file, this file is linked to one on of the file located in /usr/share/zoneinfo/* . So first you have to remove the file and then link this to new file, for example in my case I want to set my time zone as Sydney, that’s why I have to link my /etc/localtime file with Sydeny file as shown below.

Unlink/Remove /etc/localtime

# ls -l /etc/localtime
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2194 Jun  6  2008 /etc/localtime

# unlink /etc/localtime

Now check where is Sydney file located in /usr/share/zoneinfo/ folder.

# ls /usr/share/zoneinfo/
Africa      Chile    GB         Indian       MST         PRC        UTC
America     CST6CDT  GB-Eire    Iran         MST7MDT     PST8PDT    WET
Antarctica  Cuba     GMT        iso3166.tab  Navajo      right      W-SU
Arctic      EET      GMT0       Israel       NZ          ROC        zone.tab
Asia        Egypt    GMT-0      Jamaica      NZ-CHAT     ROK        Zulu
Atlantic    Eire     GMT+0      Japan        Pacific     Singapore
Australia   EST      Greenwich  Kwajalein    Poland      Turkey
Brazil      EST5EDT  Hongkong   Libya        Portugal    UCT
Canada      Etc      HST        MET          posix       Universal
CET         Europe   Iceland    Mexico       posixrules  US

# ls /usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/
ACT          Canberra  Hobart     Melbourne  Queensland  Victoria
Adelaide     Currie    LHI        North      South       West
Brisbane     Darwin    Lindeman   NSW        Sydney      Yancowinna
Broken_Hill  Eucla     Lord_Howe  Perth      Tasmania

After finding Sydney file now link it to our /etc/localtime file like below:

# ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/Sydney /etc/localtime

Once above command executed successfully now check if date is update with new timezone.

# date
Mon Sep 11 10:30:49 EST 2017

Thanks:)