#473493 tzdata: /etc/localtime not updated

Package:
tzdata
Source:
tzdata
Submitter:
Ian MacKinnell
Date:
2025-08-12 09:27:02 UTC
Severity:
normal
#473493#5
Date:
2008-03-31 00:05:48 UTC
From:
To:
tzdata - Australian states - daylight saving extended by one week -
zoneinfo files for NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and ACT are incorrect.

NSW changed the daylight saving rules in October 2007 (see official
website: http://www.nsw.gov.au/daylightsaving.asp) to extend daylight
saving until the first Sunday in April, rather than the last Sunday in
March.

I understand from Wikipedia that Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have
also agreed to alter their daylight saving rules in the same way. I will
find official confirmation for those states and territories, if it is
needed.

Currently, this is causing my system clocks to be out by one hour which
is affecting all my logs and onscreen clocks.

Ian MacKinnell





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#473493#15
Date:
2008-03-31 01:27:28 UTC
From:
To:
I found that on my "testing" machines, tzdata was correct, but
/etc/localtime had not been updated to match the appropriate tzdata
file. Running "dpkg-reconfigured tzdata" fixed this.
#473493#20
Date:
2008-03-31 04:24:08 UTC
From:
To:
Since reporting the problem this morning...

I updated the zoneinfo file on my Debian testing desktop to the latest,
correct data (downloaded from upstream), but that did not fix the problem.

I did a dpkg-reconfigure tzdata and the problem was gone after that.

This is consistent with the post from Andrew McNamara.

Ian MacKinnell





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#473493#25
Date:
2008-03-31 12:42:24 UTC
From:
To:
Andrew McNamara a écrit :

Did you installed a zoneinfo manually previously? In that case it is
normal it is left untouched by tzdata.
#473493#30
Date:
2008-03-31 12:42:26 UTC
From:
To:
Ian MacKinnell a écrit :

How did you installed it precisely?

Did you installed a zoneinfo manually previously? In that case it is
normal it is left untouched by tzdata.
#473493#37
Date:
2008-03-31 13:04:01 UTC
From:
To:
Sorry, I don't remember. At a guess, would say no - if I was to configure
it manually I would more than likely create a symlink rather than copy
the file. Maybe I've installed the upstream zoneinfo data, and this
has then be overwriten by a subsequent update of the tzdata package
(moving daylight savings around with little notice is an annual sport
for our politicians).
#473493#42
Date:
2008-03-31 23:28:32 UTC
From:
To:
Aurelien Jarno wrote:
A work colleague downloaded the zoneinfo source file for Australasia
from the upstream source (a US government site).

I then ran the command:

# zic australasia

as root.

The system clock did not change back to daylight saving time. I then ran
"/etc/init.d/ntp restart" but that made no difference either. After some
further research on the web, I ran dpkg-reconfigure tzdata and that set
the system clock back to daylight saving.
No. At work I manually installed a zoneinfo file *only after* the
daylight saving problem occurred. I had never previously made any manual
changes to the zoneinfo files on my work PC.

Also: I had the same daylight saving problem on my home PC (Debian
testing, completely up to date before the daylight saving switch) and I
have never made any manual changes to the timezone configuration on that
PC, including zoneinfo files - not even after the daylight saving
problem occurred. Simply running dpkg-reconfigure tzdata set the system
clock back to daylight saving time on my home PC.

Ian MacKinnell





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#473493#47
Date:
2025-08-12 09:25:04 UTC
From:
To:
Version: 2016a-1

/etc/localtime got turned into a symlink in 2016a-1, inherently fixing
this issue. Closing.