How to figure out which, if any, update changed /etc/localtime from a link to a hard file?

[Derek Broughton]

David M. Karr wrote:

> So, I had recently discovered a bug with Java not using the correct date
> ranges for DST.  What I've determined is that Java requires
> /etc/localtime to be a symlink, not a hard file. 

I don't believe Java can tell the difference.

> When I replaced the 
> hard file with a link to the correct file, it fixed my problem.

Which sounds more like you have two _different_ files and what's
in /etc/localtime is simply wrong.
 
> Now, what I'd like to find out is how and when /etc/localtime became a
> hard file.

A fresh install of Intrepid this week gives me a "hard" file.  But my Hardy
system has it too.

> I have no idea whether the original Ubuntu 8.10 installation was in this
> state or not.  

Certainly.

> It could have happened when I installed one of the many 
> updates that come through.
> 
> is there any way to search through the list of updates that I've
> installed to see whether any of them would have done this?

/var/log/dpkg*
/var/log/aptitude*
/var/log/apt/*

and probably others...

However, dlocate tells me it _isn't_ part of any package (on either system),
and
http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-linux-unix-change-setup-timezone-tz-variable/
suggests that it is automatically _copied_ from the /usr/share/zoneinfo by
tzconfig.  One would hope that tzconfig actually removes any symlink it
finds there before copying, rather than just copying into it, potentially
making all your timezones look the same...
-- 
derek