Time zone bug in Ubuntu

[Ansus]

If Ubuntu is installed with other operating systems (such as Windows or Fedora) on the same computer, it displays incorrect time (with shift about several hours). If to set correct time in Ubuntu, it becomes incorrect in other operating systems and BIOS. This is because in file /etc/default/rcS there is set

UTC=yes

dispite the settings in Gnome time applet and what was choosen during installation. If to manually change it to UTC=no, all works well.

This problem exist in both Gusty and Hardy and was reported even back to Ubuntu 6.10.

[Benjamin Drung (bdrung)]

If you have multiple operation systems installed, you have to use local time for your hardware clock for all operation systems or you have to use UTC for your hardware clock for all operation systems. It is not possible to mix local time and UTC for your hardware clock. Otherwise the times shift about hours if you switch to another timezone.

Ubuntu uses UTC for default, but Windows uses local time. If Ubuntu detects Windows while installing it changes to local time (setting UTC=no in /etc/default/rcS). If you install Ubuntu before Windows you have to change this setting manually.

In which order did you install Ubuntu and Windows?

If you installed Windows before Ubuntu, this is a bug in the installer. If you installed Ubuntu before Windows this "bug" cannot be fixed unless Windows uses also UTC for the hardware clock.

[Ansus (neptunia)]

I've installed Ubuntu after Windows, but with Windows partition switched off during install.

The bug is not that Ubuntu uses UTC by default. The bug is that it uses it dispite direct settings during install and in Gnome. You specifically set to not use UTC, but Ubuntu still uses UTC.

I also see no reason why Ubuntu should use UTC by default.

[Benjamin Drung (bdrung)]

What do you mean with switched off? Switching off the disks with the Windows partitions or not setting a mount point for the partitions.

Which installation system did you use? The graphical (on the live cd) or the text based (alternate)? IIRC you cannot set the real time clock to use local time or UTC (in graphical installation). Where did you set in GNOME to not use UTC? The only way I know to disable UTC is to set it in /etc/default/rcS.

Some reasons for using UTC by default: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/mswish/ut-rtc.html

[Ansus (neptunia)]

I used the graphical install, but now I see this bug is by design. Sorry for reporting.
I only want to add that problems experience not only me but also many other users (I frequently encounter similar problems in the forums). Some people solve the issue setting another than factual timezone under Windows and Fedora (if they run on the same machine) to get the same time as in Ubuntu.

[Ansus (neptunia)]

I also was unable to get help from other people in forums. They all used wierd workarounds jus as I described above.
I only found an old FAQ for Ubuntu 4.10 http://www.opennet.ru/base/rus/ubuntu_rus.txt.html which says that timezone bug still not fixed, and I found there that I can correct it through /etc/default/rcS. I was in shock how long time it takes to fix the bug. Without this manual I would probably aandon my Ubuntu installation.

[Benjamin Drung (bdrung)]

The only think we could change, is to add a checkbox to select if the hardware clock uses UTC or local time. I found a similar bug report and mark it as duplicate.