Most distributions (at least those based on Debian/Ubuntu and Gentoo) write out /etc/timezone and keep it in sync with /etc/localtime. The latter contains the binary timezone information the former a human readabale string like "Europe/Berlin". Maintaining /etc/timezone has the advantage that UIs which want to show the current timezone name do not have to crawl through /usr/share/zoneinfo to find the original /etc/localtime. With systemd we try to push the distributions to unify these kind of really basic configuration files, and hence adopted this Debian/Ubuntu/Gentoo scheme since it makes a lot of sense. The systemd mechanism which allows changing of the local timezone will always keep /etc/localtime and /etc/timezone in sync now. I'd like to ask you to write /etc/timezone at the same time as /etc/localtime at system installation with anaconda.
Hi Lennart, I added this to Anaconda you can try it out by adding updates=http://akozumpl.fedorapeople.org/bz734626.img to the kernel boot line before booting the installer. Also posted the patch for a review: https://www.redhat.com/archives/anaconda-devel-list/2011-August/msg00401.html.
Also I have a question - is there supposed to be a newline at the end of /etc/timezone ?
Thanks, this was quick! Yes, it should be newline-terminated. Unfortunately there's not man page available for this in the Debian world, but they do add a newline, and so should we. To make this official I have now added a short man page for this file to systemd: http://0pointer.de/public/systemd-man/timezone.html
Hi, the change itself is simple but there are concerns from the reviewers. Please join the discussion at: https://www.redhat.com/archives/anaconda-devel-list/2011-August/msg00401.html
Hmm, I am not subscribed to that ML, could you bounce his mail to me, please? That way I can reply in-line.
I think you should be able to participate in the discussion without being subscribed.
Yes, and I'd like to respond to the original mail, and for that I need it first. Thus I'd like to ask you to bounce that mail to me! Thanks!
(forward as announcement would work too)
(forward as attachment would work too)
forwarded.
The patch has not been accepted by reviewers.