Cannot access sytem time settings

[Laurent Dinclaux]

Hello I right click on the time applet > set time then system time button.

The window just close.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please answer these questions:

 * Is this reproducible?
 * If so, what specific steps should we take to recreate this bug?
 * What ubuntu version do you use?

 This will help us to find and resolve the problem.

[Laurent Dinclaux (dreadlox)]

Reproducible: allway
To reproduct: right click on the time applet > "set time" > "system time" button (in first message... lol)

Intrepid 64bit RC fully updated

[Felix Dreissig (f30)]

This is tricky: It is not really a bug, but a usability problem.
Let me explain:

You do a right-click on the clock-applet in the GNOME panel an choose "Adjust Date & Time". Here you have a basic interface to change your time settings and when you click on "Set System Time" the changes are saved.

Note that this button is not marked as "OK" or "Apply" and has no icon (see screenshot).
So I guess most users (including me) would think that they can get to the "Time and Date" window (which you can find under "System" - "Administration" - "Time and Date") through clicking here, but actually you directly change the time settings.

I really dont know why GNOME needs two time configuration interfaces at all, but this behaviour is really confusing.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

the bug is about the label not being clear then and should be sent to bugzilla.gnome.org

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Forwarded upstream

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

Thanks Martin

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Have a look at bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-panel/+bug/191471. It's the same one, but is is described as a real bug, not as a feature.

@F30: Are you really sure the button is not for opening the time admin?

[Felix Dreissig (f30)]

@Martin Mai: That is at least what it behaves like.

If you ask me, it SHOULD open the time admin window, but actually it does not.
I at least cannot see any sense in having two configuration interfaces for the same thing.

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

I agree with you, F30. Having two ways for setting the system time would make no sense.

[Laurent Dinclaux (dreadlox)]

bug still there in Karmic

[Gigs (gigs)]

Yes as I said on the other bug, I think this button should run time-admin.

[Oliver Gerlich (ogerlich)]

Felix, thanks for your explanation! I'd have never guessed that this button means "Apply the displayed settings system-wide", esp. since the button text has an ellipsis.

I agree this button should rather run time-admin. While that would lead to a cascade of three open dialogs, it's better than this misleading button.

[Colin D Bennett (colinb)]

Wow! I this is really confusing! I too thought that this button should bring up a dialog to set the time or something such as the system Time/Date Settings window from the System|Administration menu, where you can enable NTP synchronization.

At least in Lucid the Set System Time button does not have an ellipsis.