Ubuntu Clock keeps changing.

10eputzen · 08-02-2013, 02:44 PM

I'm having lots of trouble trying to figure out what is wrong with my Ubuntu clock.
I installed 13.04 on my server using VMWare (maybe it has something to do with that.)
After rebooting the system, the clock is always 2h ahead. After updating the ntp service, the clock sets itself back to the proper time, but after rebooting the system it is off again.
The timezone is set to CEST, but even the CEST is 2h off after a reboot. It feels like the system is applying the daylight saving time twice after the reboot.
Any ideas?

Firerat · 08-02-2013, 02:52 PM

What time does your BIOS think it is?

edit
meh, just noticed, is this the VMWare guest that has time issues?

Firerat · 08-02-2013, 02:57 PM

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/tech...alMachines.pdf
might shed some light

10eputzen · 08-02-2013, 03:03 PM

Yeah, it is the guest (using ESXI). Thanks for the pdf.

Firerat · 08-02-2013, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10eputzen

Yeah, it is the guest (using ESXI). Thanks for the pdf.

Hope it helps, I only skimmed through it.. *lots* of words, but I did see it detail how to config a few settings

10eputzen · 08-03-2013, 02:11 PM

Hmm, I read through the pdf, but everything I tried there only helped until the next reboot

273 · 08-03-2013, 02:24 PM

This is a guess because I don't use VMWare (only VirtualBox) but do you have the guest set to think that "system time is UTC"? It occurs that the host OS might be passing on non-UTC time so you might want to change that?
Apologies if I'm barking up the wrong tree but I'd rather post and be wrong than hold back if it works.

Firerat · 08-03-2013, 02:53 PM

I also don't use VmWare, it seems it deals with time differently

taken from page 22 of previously linked pdf

Quote:

Because guest operating systems generally get their time from the virtual CMOS TOD clock when they are powered on, you must set this device to your fictitious time if you want the time to persist across guest operating system restarts.

If you want to start a guest operating system with the same time on every startup, use the rtc.startTime option described in “Virtual CMOS RTC” on page 10.

If, instead, you want the guest operating system to have a constant offset from real time as maintained by the host, you can use the rtc.diffFromUTC option, or simply set the CMOS TOD clock from the virtual machine’s BIOS setup screen or from within the guest operating system.

In Microsoft Windows, setting the system time automatically updates the CMOS clock.

In Linux, you can use the /sbin/hwclock program to set the CMOS clock. Alternatively, because most Linux distributions are configured to copy the system time into the CMOS clock during system shutdown, you can simply set the system time and shut down the guest operating system before restarting it again.

all seems a bit confusing , but It looks like The VMWare guest has it's own BIOS settings.. It could be that it pulled local time from the host during initial setup, and due to some quirk it is now out of step

so a variation on post #2
What time does your VmWare Guest's BIOS think it is?