Configuring the timezone on Red Hat Linux
I recently set up a server remotely and with much success, however I overlooked the configuration of the operating system’s timezone settings. This is typically set up during the installation of the operating system, but since the dedicated server provider performs the installation for customers, it is a step that can be easily overlooked when setting up a server that is provided by another party.
A quick search for “redhat timezone” returns Tips & Tricks: Changing timezone. In summary, the ZONE field of the /etc/sysconfig/clock file is updated to point to a file that is located in the /usr/share/zoneinfo directory tree. A symbolic link to the file located in /usr/share/zoneinfo directory tree should also be set at /etc/localtime.
The Tips & Tricks article at redhat.com recommends a reboot after setting these files up.
After the reboot, running ntpdate and configuring the ntp service is advisable. Checking that the timezone configuration is patched with ‘zdump -v /etc/localtime’ is also advisable.