Nahidul Islam

Time management is a crucial aspect of maintaining a server. Accurate timekeeping ensures proper synchronization of tasks, logs, and various system operations. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to check and set the server timezone on a Linux system. We’ll walk you through the steps to view the current timezone, search for available timezones, and set a new timezone. Let’s dive in!

Checking the Current Server Timezone

To find out the current timezone used on your server, you can use the timedatectl command. Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo timedatectl

This command will display detailed information about your system’s current date and time settings, including the timezone.

Searching for Available Timezones

Sometimes, you may need to explore a list of available timezones to find the one that suits your needs. You can do this using the timedatectl list-timezones command. Open your terminal and run:

sudo timedatectl list-timezones

This command will provide you with an extensive list of all available timezones. Scrolling through this list can be overwhelming, so you might want to narrow it down.

Searching for a Specific Timezone

To make the search for a specific timezone easier, you can use the grep command. For example, let’s say you’re interested in the “Asia/Dhaka” timezone. You can search for it like this:

sudo timedatectl list-timezones | grep Dhaka

This command will return all the timezones containing the term “Dhaka” in their names, and you can pick the one that matches your requirements.

Setting a New Server Timezone

Once you’ve identified the timezone you want to set, you can use the timedatectl set-timezone command to change the server’s timezone. For example, if you want to set the timezone to “Asia/Dhaka,” run the following command:

sudo timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Dhaka

Your server’s timezone will now be updated to “Asia/Dhaka.” Make sure you choose a timezone that corresponds to the geographical location where your server is situated or based on your specific needs.

Verifying the Changes

After changing the timezone, it’s important to verify that the changes have taken effect. You can do this by running the timedatectl command again:

sudo timedatectl

You should see the updated timezone in the output, ensuring that your server is now using the correct time settings.

Conclusion

Managing the server timezone is a fundamental task for maintaining a reliable and efficient server. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can check the current server timezone, search for available timezones, and set the appropriate timezone to match your requirements. Proper time management will help you keep your server’s operations in sync, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.