Guixsd adds 2 hours to a BIOS time

Guixsd adds 2 hours to a BIOS time

[Adam Mazurkiewicz]

I live in Poland and I set time in config.scm in this way:
(...)
(operating-system
  (host-name "s")
  (timezone "Europe/Warsaw")
  (locale "en_US.utf8")

  (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "pl"))
(...)
Then I changed Warsaw to Paris because both have the same timezone and
DST (Daylight Saving Time).

In both cases, Warsaw and Paris, Guixsd added two hours to the time
that was set in computer BIOS. So the 'date' command in the terminal
gave wrong time, to hours later.

Setting the BIOS time to a two hours earlier time is not a good
solution, I think. What to do to fix this 2 hours offset?

Re: Guixsd adds 2 hours to a BIOS time

[Tobias Geerinckx-Rice]

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Adam,

Adam Mazurkiewicz wrote:
> I live in Poland and I set time in config.scm in this way:
> (...)
> (operating-system
>   (host-name "s")
>   (timezone "Europe/Warsaw")
>   (locale "en_US.utf8")
>
>   (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "pl"))
> (...)
> Then I changed Warsaw to Paris because both have the same 
> timezone and
> DST (Daylight Saving Time).
>
> In both cases, Warsaw and Paris, Guixsd added two hours to the 
> time
> that was set in computer BIOS. So the 'date' command in the 
> terminal
> gave wrong time, to hours later.

This all sounds very… correct, to be honest.

Your ‘BIOS’ (hardware) clock should always be set to UTC, not your 
local time.  Imagine your computer moving its CMOS clock forward & 
back twice a year.  Or every time you travel to a different 
timezone.  It would look as silly and confused as the rest of us.

Put differently: the time displayed in your computer firmware's 
setup utility *should* be 2 hours behind your watch.  This is what 
all modern operating systems (even Windows, I've been told, if you 
ask it nicely) and other software expect.  It's not specific to 
Guix System¹.

Judging by the fact that your e-mail arrived tomorrow, I'm 
guessing that's not currently the case.

Kind regards,

T G-R

[1]: Previously known as ‘GuixSD’.

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Re: Guixsd adds 2 hours to a BIOS time

[Adam Mazurkiewicz]

śr., 22 maj 2019 o 22:38 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice <me@tobias.gr> napisał(a):
>
> Adam,
>
> Adam Mazurkiewicz wrote:
> > I live in Poland and I set time in config.scm in this way:
> > (...)
> > (operating-system
> >   (host-name "s")
> >   (timezone "Europe/Warsaw")
> >   (locale "en_US.utf8")
> >
> >   (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "pl"))
> > (...)
> > Then I changed Warsaw to Paris because both have the same
> > timezone and
> > DST (Daylight Saving Time).
> >
> > In both cases, Warsaw and Paris, Guixsd added two hours to the
> > time
> > that was set in computer BIOS. So the 'date' command in the
> > terminal
> > gave wrong time, to hours later.
>
> This all sounds very… correct, to be honest.
>
> Your ‘BIOS’ (hardware) clock should always be set to UTC, not your
> local time.  Imagine your computer moving its CMOS clock forward &
> back twice a year.  Or every time you travel to a different
> timezone.  It would look as silly and confused as the rest of us.
>
> Put differently: the time displayed in your computer firmware's
> setup utility *should* be 2 hours behind your watch.  This is what
> all modern operating systems (even Windows, I've been told, if you
> ask it nicely) and other software expect.  It's not specific to
> Guix System¹.
>
> Judging by the fact that your e-mail arrived tomorrow, I'm
> guessing that's not currently the case.
You are right. I have always been setting CEST in BIOS but it has been
wrong. Thanks, for your great advice, Tobias.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> T G-R
>
> [1]: Previously known as ‘GuixSD’.
Kind regards,
Adam