How do I set my clock correctly?

[bai.ganga]

I am using dual boot of Windows-7 and Kubuntu 14.10 (upgraded about a month ago). For some specific works, I must come to windows and most other occasions, I am using Kubuntu for operating the computer. And, it has been like this since the past five years that I have owned this laptop. Kubuntu versions have been progressively upgraded in the interim period and the Windows version has remained the same since installation although the necessary updates are taking place. Just yesterday evening some updates to Kubuntu has happened and today morning there was an update applied to windows too. So, the system software is updated to the latest available version.

Since the latest upgradation to Kubuntu 14.10, I am facing a peculiar problem with my computer's clock. The problem is this: If I update the clock while on Kubuntu, and the next time when I login on Windows, I find that the time set there is the GMT. If I update the time while on windows, the next time I login on Kubuntu, I find the time there is (GMT+5:30+5:30). I am living in India, which lies on the time zone of GMT+5:30.

On the clock in both the locations (windows or Linux), I am selecting that my location is corresponding to one of the Indian cities as listed there and the system displays correctly that accordingly, my time is GMT+5:30. Only problem is the exact location from where the time synchronization is to occur and I don't have too much of a choice there except the 2-3 locations specified there. I tried to differently synchronize on all these locations and the result is the same.

[kubicle]

This is likely due to the fact that windows and linux treat the bios clock differently, while windows traditionally treats/sets the hardware clock to local time, linux sets it to UTC time by default (and calculates the local time based on your time zone).

I'm not sure about windows (haven't really used it in years), but you can change the linux default to match your windows installation in treating the hardware clock the same by:
1. open up /etc/default/rcS for editing: kdesudo kate /etc/default/rcS
2. edit the UTC=yes --> UTC=no
3. save the file
4. reboot linux and set your local time if needed

Now both windows and linux should agree on which time (local) the BIOS clock is set.

[bai.ganga]

Thank you kubicle.

[bai.ganga]

I made the correction as stated above to the file. When I clicked 'save', an error message pops up saying "The document could not be saved, as it was not possible to write to /etc/default/rcS. Check that you have access to this file or that enough disk space is available".

Thereafter too, when I try to just close the file, a window with the message "The following documents have been modified. Do you want to save changes"? Below this, the name of the file (/etc/default/rcS) is written and there are three choices of discard, Save and Cancel. The only possible choice there to close the window is to opt for 'discard'. If I click on 'save', the same message as in the first paragraph comes up.

Can anyone help me please?

[kubicle]

I made the correction as stated above to the file. When I clicked 'save', an error message pops up saying "The document could not be saved, as it was not possible to write to /etc/default/rcS. Check that you have access to this file or that enough disk space is available".

Did you open the file with the command I posted?:
kdesudo kate /etc/default/rcS
(editing system files in /etc requires root privileges, 'kdesudo kate' will open the kate editor as root so you can save the file)

[Klakh]

For information, I've been playing around with those two OSes as well, and the things I can tell you for sure :
- Better for them to be on separate disks.
- For the clock problem, fixing it by modifying this setting (UTC=yes --> UTC=no) in Ubuntu can cause messy things.
My advice would be to change it in Windows rather --> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ub...Time_Conflicts
- Best to use Grub, or F8 boot menu to select the OS, as Windows boot selector can quickly become tricky.

Here it is for now, have a good one


EDIT: apparently not all that is true. Read below

[kubicle]

- For the clock problem, fixing it by modifying this setting (UTC=yes --> UTC=no) in Ubuntu can cause messy things.

Can you elaborate on that, using UTC on linux is recommended, but local time should not cause major issues (If it does they should definitely be reported as bugs).

Of course there is nothing wrong in changing the time settings in windows if one prefers (though the link you posted says changing it on linux is easier and more reliable)

[Klakh]

I couldn't, since I'm a complete Linux noob I read it when was researching on it for fixing my problem, though, but it would take me time to find it again, and I'd rather trust your saying, as your seem too know more .

From my experience, I did change the settings in Kubuntu when I changed the first times. Now I do it in Windows. Mainly because now I use Kubuntu as my main OS, and I prefer changing core settings like this one in the OS I use less (i.e. Windows for me now)