[xubuntu-users] Automatically shifting time when changing country.

[George F. Nemeyer]

On Wed, 9 Jul 2014, David Walland wrote:

> Is there any way to set up my Xubuntu laptop to automatically pick up the
> local time from the local Internet and reset it from UK time to EU time and
> reverse.  My (Android) mobile does this quite happily...

Your mobile gets local time from the nearby cell phone towers to which it
connects.  Therefore, as you move around, the time where you are is easily
determined.  It's not 'Internet time', but rather 'cell tower' time.

The problem with pure Internet devices is the OS does not know (or care)
just where you are located unless you tell it, as it typically has no way
to know your location as you move around.

It is possible to do automatic time synchronization with known Network
Time Protocol servers over the Internet.  These are typically very
accurate, but transmit time in UTC and not local.  Your machine applies
time zone corrections when you tell it what time zone you are in (or want
to use for your time base).

If your laptop has built in GPS or has a GPS dongle, there *may* be some
application that automatically takes your position and coverts it to the
local time zone to change your time display, but I'm not aware of any.

The simplest way is to simply set up NTP time synchronization to keep an
accurate clock, then use your OS time zone utility to tell it which time
zone you are in for display purposes.