[time-nuts] Concern over Daylight Saving Time

[Didier Juges]

Hal Murray wrote:
>> 	Actually, if you're using a network time server on your home LAN, and
>> sync'ing your workstations to it, you need only make sure that the
>> time server is running right. The computers will then take care of
>> themselves. 
>>     
>
> NTP uses UTC.  (Roughly.  There might be differences at the leap second 
> level.)
>
> Time zones and DST depend upon local conversions.  You have to get that right 
> if you expect local time to be correct.
>
> Most *inx boxes use a local conversion table/file stored in /etc/locatime
>
>
>   
That brings another question. I have a few linux boxes at work 
performing thankless http server duties and I have never been 
excessively worried about time or even date on those machines until 
someone pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago that a script used to 
retrieve documents in a database was setting the date of the query to 
February 2037. I checked and lo, that was the system date of the 
machine! After a little bit of searching, I found out the time server I 
was using (rolex.usg.edu I think, for about 4 years I guess) was either 
returning garbage or was returning something suddenly my netdate utility 
would not understand. I have been updating time each day in the AM (cron 
job) from the same machine (and others, I need to check) for years. I 
switched to another time server and all is good for now, with one 
exception. I have the timezone set to CST (Chicago), since that's where 
I am, but it sets the offset to only 6 hours instead of 7. To be honest, 
I do not know if this has always been the case (when rolex was working) 
or if this is new, as I say, I am not too worried about time/date on 
this machine, but 2037 was a bit much.... The same happens if I set the 
system clock from the CMOS instead of the time server. The CMOS is also 
set to UTC and correct. It is as if my timezone is wrong, but I reloaded 
from a *believed good* original and no dice.

What am I doing wrong?

Didier KO4BB