🕐 Configure Timezone to Paris

This guide will teach you how to configure your VPS server timezone to the Paris timezone (Europe/Paris) so that the system time is correctly synchronized.

📋 Prerequisites

• A VPS server with root or sudo access
• An active SSH connection
• Ubuntu/Debian (commands are adapted for these distributions)

🔍 Check Current Timezone

Before changing the timezone, check which one is currently configured:

# Display current timezone
timedatectl

# Or simply
date

# Display only the timezone
timedatectl | grep "Time zone"

🌍 Method 1: Use timedatectl (Recommended)

List Available Timezones

# List all available timezones
timedatectl list-timezones

# Filter to find European timezones
timedatectl list-timezones | grep Europe

# Search specifically for Paris
timedatectl list-timezones | grep Paris

Configure Paris Timezone

# Set timezone to Europe/Paris
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Paris

# Verify that the change was applied
timedatectl

You should see something like:

               Local time: Mon 2026-01-11 14:30:00 CET
           Universal time: Mon 2026-01-11 13:30:00 UTC
                 RTC time: Mon 2026-01-11 13:30:00
                Time zone: Europe/Paris (CET, +0100)
System clock synchronized: yes
              NTP service: active
          RTC in local TZ: no

🔧 Method 2: Use Symbolic Link (Traditional Method)

If timedatectl is not available, you can use the traditional method:

Step 1: Identify the Timezone

# List available timezones
ls /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/

# Verify that Europe/Paris exists
ls -la /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris

Step 2: Create the Symbolic Link

# Backup the old timezone (optional)
sudo mv /etc/localtime /etc/localtime.backup

# Create the symbolic link to the Paris timezone
sudo ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris /etc/localtime

# Verify the change
date

Step 3: Update /etc/timezone File (Debian/Ubuntu)

# Edit the timezone file
echo "Europe/Paris" | sudo tee /etc/timezone

# Verify the content
cat /etc/timezone

✅ Verification

Check Current Time

# Display date and time with timezone
date

# Display all time information
timedatectl

# Display UTC time
date -u

Verify Timezone is Correct

# Verify the symbolic link
ls -la /etc/localtime

# Should display something like:
# /etc/localtime -> /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris

🕐 Daylight Saving Time (DST) Management

The Europe/Paris timezone automatically handles daylight saving time (CET/CEST):

• CET (Central European Time) : UTC+1 (winter)
• CEST (Central European Summer Time) : UTC+2 (summer)

The system automatically adjusts the time twice a year.

Verify Daylight Saving Time

# Display detailed information
timedatectl

# Verify the change date
zdump -v Europe/Paris | grep 2024

🔄 NTP Synchronization

To keep the time accurate, make sure NTP synchronization is enabled:

Check NTP Status

# Check if NTP is active
timedatectl status

# If NTP is not active, enable it
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

Install and Configure NTP (if necessary)

# Install NTP
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ntp -y

# Check status
systemctl status ntp

# Enable NTP on boot
sudo systemctl enable ntp
sudo systemctl start ntp

🎯 Other French Timezones

If you need another French timezone:

# Mainland (Paris)
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Paris

# Antilles (Guadeloupe, Martinique)
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Martinique

# French Guiana
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Cayenne

# Réunion
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Indian/Reunion

# New Caledonia
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Pacific/Noumea

# French Polynesia
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Pacific/Tahiti

📝 Useful Commands

Display Time in Different Timezones

# Local time (Paris)
date

# UTC time
date -u

# Time in a specific timezone
TZ='America/New_York' date
TZ='Asia/Tokyo' date

Manually Modify Time (Not Recommended)

# Modify time (format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)
sudo timedatectl set-time "2026-01-11 14:30:00"

# Modify only the date
sudo timedatectl set-time "2026-01-11"

# Modify only the time
sudo timedatectl set-time "14:30:00"

🔍 Troubleshooting

Problem: Time Doesn't Synchronize

# Check NTP status
timedatectl status

# Enable NTP if disabled
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

# Check connection to NTP servers
sudo ntpq -p

Problem: Timezone Doesn't Change

# Verify that timedatectl works
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Paris

# Verify the symbolic link
ls -la /etc/localtime

# If necessary, recreate the link manually
sudo rm /etc/localtime
sudo ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris /etc/localtime

Problem: Time is Incorrect After Reboot

# Enable NTP for automatic synchronization
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

# Install chrony (NTP alternative)
sudo apt install chrony -y
sudo systemctl enable chrony
sudo systemctl start chrony

✅ Best Practices

• Use timedatectl : It's the modern and recommended method
• Enable NTP : To keep time synchronized automatically
• Check regularly : System time is important for logs and SSL certificates
• Don't modify manually : Let NTP handle synchronization

🆘 Troubleshooting

Verify Complete Configuration

# Verify all time information
timedatectl

# Check configuration files
cat /etc/timezone
ls -la /etc/localtime

# Check TZ environment variable
echo $TZ

Complete Reset

If you have problems, you can reset:

# Enable NTP
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

# Redefine timezone
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Paris

# Verify
timedatectl
date

📚 Additional Resources

• timedatectl Documentation
• List of Timezones
• Infrawire Support

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between CET and CEST?
A: CET (Central European Time) is winter time (UTC+1) and CEST (Central European Summer Time) is summer time (UTC+2). The system automatically changes twice a year.

Q: Should I use Europe/Paris or CET directly?
A: Always use Europe/Paris as it includes daylight saving time rules automatically. Don't use CET/CEST directly.

Q: Does the time change automatically with daylight saving time?
A: Yes, if you use Europe/Paris, the system automatically adjusts the time during the daylight saving time transition.

Q: How do I check if NTP is working correctly?
A: Use timedatectl status and verify that "NTP service" is "active" and "System clock synchronized" is "yes".

Q: Can I use another timezone on my VPS?
A: Yes, replace Europe/Paris with the desired timezone in the timedatectl set-timezone command.