Once again, we see the time zone is set for CST. The more modern method uses the timedatectl command, which is also used on today’s Linux systems to set the time zone. In this example, you can see the time zone is set to Central Standard Time, or UTC-6. You can check this by running the command ls -l /etc/localtime from the terminal. In the early days of system administration, this was set by manually creating a symbolic link from the right time zone file to /etc/localtime. This is the file location set when you configure the time zone. The oldest way is to check where the system’s /etc/localtime points. Linux offers a couple of ways to check the time zone. Checking the Configured Time Zone in Linux Hence one more reason to make sure the time zones match. means the same thing to you and the Linux server. Understanding what’s happening when is a much simpler task when 5 p.m. Inevitably, you’ll need to examine log files for potential troubles. It’s much easier to coordinate this if you set the time zone according to your own.

Ideally, these should run when your Linux computer isn’t being used as much, after working hours. These can include running backups or checking for software updates. There are a number of tasks that Linux handles according to a schedule. It’s usually best to set your Linux time zone to match yours or the one most of your users observe.įortunately, it’s easy to configure the time zone on Linux even after installation. Intended to help people keep daytime and evening hours straight anywhere in the world, time zones don’t really matter to a computer.

Permanently change timezone linux