Set Timezone Permanently

It’s recommended to set the clock to UTC. In rare occasions, local time may be needed.

Here’s how to set your server’s timezone permanently.

Check the date first.

<pre lang="bash">
date

Backup localtime. Set it to US Eastern Time.

<pre lang="bash">
mv /etc/localtime /etc/localtime.backup
ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/New_York /etc/localtime

Backup clock. Set it to US Eastern Time.

<pre lang="bash">
cp -p /etc/sysconfig/clock /etc/sysconfig/clock.backup 
> /etc/sysconfig/clock
echo ZONE=\"America/New_York\" > /etc/sysconfig/clock

Run the date again to validate.

<pre lang="bash">
date