DESK-MX-L-AN-0005: How to synchronize date/time
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 This application note has been validated using the kit version in the History table. |
| History | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue Date | Development Kit version | ||
| 2022/06/22 | DESK-MX6UL-L 1.0.1 | ||
Introduction[edit | edit source]
System date and time can be easily kept synchronized using the NTP services available on the Internet.
To set the date, you need to set your timezone information and activate the NTP protocol for your system to synchronize with NTP servers.
If the ntp package is not present in the root file system, it is possible to install it using the standard dnf tool as described here:
root@desk-mx6:~# dnf install ntp desk-mx6l-cortexa9hf_neon 2.0 MB/s | 3.1 MB 00:01 Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:08 ago on Tue Mar 31 09:05:08 2020. Dependencies resolved. ================================================================================ Package Arch Version Repository Size ================================================================================ Installing: ntp cortexa9hf_neon 4.2.8p11-r0 cortexa9hf 322 k Installing dependencies: ntp-tickadj cortexa9hf_neon 4.2.8p11-r0 cortexa9hf 8.4 k Transaction Summary ================================================================================ Install 2 Packages Total download size: 330 k Installed size: 783 k Is this ok [y/N]: y Downloading Packages: (1/2): ntp-tickadj-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon. 109 kB/s | 8.4 kB 00:00 (2/2): ntp-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon.rpm 1.1 MB/s | 322 kB 00:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 1.0 MB/s | 330 kB 00:00 Running transaction check Transaction check succeeded. Running transaction test Transaction test succeeded. Running transaction Preparing : 1/1 Installing : ntp-tickadj-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 1/2 Running scriptlet: ntp-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 2/2 Running useradd commands... NOTE: ntp: Performing useradd with [ --system --home-dir /var/lib/ntp --no-create-home --shell /bin/false --user-group ntp] Installing : ntp-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 2/2 Running scriptlet: ntp-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 2/2 update-alternatives: Linking /usr/sbin/ntpd to /usr/sbin/ntpd.ntp Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/ntpd.service \u2192 /lib/systemd/system/ntpd.service. Verifying : ntp-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 1/2 Verifying : ntp-tickadj-4.2.8p11-r0.cortexa9hf_neon 2/2 Installed: ntp.cortexa9hf_neon 4.2.8p11-r0 ntp-tickadj.cortexa9hf_neon 4.2.8p11-r0 Complete! root@desk-mx6:~#
Then the /etc/ntp.conf file has to be modified according to the ntp server pool used for time synchronization, for example in Italy:
server 0.it.pool.ntp.org server 1.it.pool.ntp.org server 2.it.pool.ntp.org server 3.it.pool.ntp.org
Timezone[edit | edit source]
Be sure you are properly configured for your locatimezone. In order to consult your current timezone on Linux, you can run the timedatectl command.
root@desk-mx6:~# timedatectl
Local time: Tue 2022-02-22 12:12:22 UTC
Universal time: Tue 2022-02-22 12:12:22 UTC
RTC time: Tue 2022-02-22 12:12:22
Time zone: Universal (UTC, +0000)
System clock synchronized: yes
systemd-timesyncd.service active: yes
RTC in local TZ: no
root@desk-mx6:~#
For that purpose, you may have to install the proper tzdata package, for example:
root@desk-mx6:~# dnf install tzdata-europe desk-mx6l-noarch 30 kB/s | 155 kB 00:05 Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:00 ago on Tue Feb 22 12:14:45 2022. Dependencies resolved. ================================================================================ Package Arch Version Repository Size ================================================================================ Installing: tzdata-europe noarch 2018f-r0 noarch 25 k Transaction Summary ================================================================================ Install 1 Package Total download size: 25 k Installed size: 132 k Is this ok [y/N]: y Downloading Packages: tzdata-europe-2018f-r0.noarch.rpm 236 kB/s | 25 kB 00:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 202 kB/s | 25 kB 00:00 Running transaction check Transaction check succeeded. Running transaction test Transaction test succeeded. Running transaction Preparing : 1/1 Installing : tzdata-europe-2018f-r0.noarch 1/1 Verifying : tzdata-europe-2018f-r0.noarch 1/1 Installed: tzdata-europe.noarch 2018f-r0 Complete! root@desk-mx6:~#
and then configure it using timedatectl
root@desk-mx6:~# timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Rome
root@desk-mx6:~# timedatectl status
Local time: Tue 2022-02-22 13:16:08 CET
Universal time: Tue 2022-02-22 12:16:08 UTC
RTC time: Tue 2022-02-22 12:16:09
Time zone: Europe/Rome (CET, +0100)
System clock synchronized: yes
systemd-timesyncd.service active: yes
RTC in local TZ: no
root@desk-mx6:~#
By default, working with a distribution with systemd, you should have the systemd-timesyncd daemon by default, as seen before:
systemd-timesyncd.service active: yes
