On 27 Apr 2000, Tim Seifert wrote:
> By: Fred Wright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> On: 25-Apr-00 12:54:01
>
> > It sounds like you need a tool other than Prefs/Locale to set it,
> > though. Tools intended for automatic adjustment can typically be used
> > manually as well, but you have to be aware of just exactly what they
> > do and don't set.
>
> Can Locale be hacked/patched to add this? Or the variables it sets?
What it sets is ENV:Sys/Locale.prefs, and the ENVARC: version if you use
"Save". You can use a hex editor if you like. :-) Although the format is
probably documented somewhere, it may be quicker to just compare two
copies of the file with a binary compare utility (e.g. cmp), where one is
set to a positive timezone and one to a negative one. This shows where
the four-byte field lies.
> The invention, and implementation of daylight savings even more so. The
> trouble is, if we used the one of the timezones of the states either
> side of us, daylight hours would be too out of whack. As far as living
> beings are concerned, there's good reason to keep the clock synchronised
> with the sun's position. Of course, you'd need to reset the clock
> several times a year. At least, for me, as I work for myself (at home),
> I don't tie my life to the clock. I do things at the moment that feels
> right.
The purpose of timezones was not to get rid of periodic adjustment during
the year, but to fix the nightmare of railroad timetables tied to local
solar time that differed at every station. Mean solar time had already
been in use well before that.
> But when it comes to equipment, a fixed time is much better idea. The
> UNIX approach of always /using/ GMT, and simply /re-rendering/ the
> display of time and dates into local time, is much better. Doing things
> that way means you shouldn't get problems caused when creating files
> around the time of daylight savings changeover either.
Absolutely. But you still need to get the timezone right when it comes
time to convert to/from local time. However, I don't like the "Unix
clock" hacks on the Amiga due to the compatibility problems with the cases
where you don't run the special program.
Fred Wright
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