How to Change the Time Zone in Linux

Linux time zones are simple and quick to change. Linux uses a symbolic link to set the time zone. The symbolic link is a file that references another file in the form of a path. When the two are linked together, you have successfully changed the time zone. There are many time zones available on your system and you can update it at anytime.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Look in your directory under "/user/share/zoneinfo" and choose an available time zone. An example is "America/Los_Angeles."

2. Browse to your directory "/usr/share/zoneinfo/your/zone," where "your" is the country and "zone" is the city that is most appropriate for your time zone.

3. Replace "your/zone" with the time zone you chose in Step 1. An example is "/usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles."

4. Enter the symbolic link "/etc/localtime" after the link in Step 2. An example is "/usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles/etc/localtime." This links your local time to your specified time zone.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an older version of Linux, the path to change your time zone is "/usr/lib/zoneinfo." Continue to use the path "/etc/localtime" after setting your time zone.
• If a time zone you would like does not appear in your directory, it is invalid for your system to use.
• The path "/etc/localtime" must be linked to your "/usr/share/zoneinfo" path in order for these steps to work.

Resources

• Get help setting your time zone
• Linux time zone tips