Q. How can I set the system date and time from the command prompt (bash shell)? I don't have GUI installed and I am login over ssh session. How can I set date?
A. Use date command to display the current date and time or set the system date / time over ssh session.
This is useful if the Linux server time and/or date is wrong, and you need to set it to new values from the shell prompt.
You must login as root user to use date command.
Linux Set Date
Use the following syntax to set new data and time:
date set="STRING"
For example, set new data to 2 Oct 2006 18:00:00, type the following command as root user:
# date -s "2 OCT 2006 18:00:00"
OR
# date set="2 OCT 2006 18:00:00"
You can also simplify format using following syntax:
# date +%Y%m%d -s "20081128"
Linux Set Time
To set time use the following syntax:
# date +%T -s "10:13:13"
Where,
- 10: Hour (hh)
- 13: Minute (mm)
- 30: Second (ss)
Use %p locale’s equivalent of either AM or PM, enter:
# date +%T%p -s "6:10:30AM"
# date +%T%p -s "12:10:30PM"
See also:
- You can also set new timzone using this mini-howto.
Featured Articles:
- 20 Linux System Monitoring Tools Every SysAdmin Should Know
- My 10 UNIX Command Line Mistakes
- 10 Greatest Open Source Software Of 2009
- Top 5 Email Client For Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows Users
- Top 20 OpenSSH Server Best Security Practices
- Top 10 Open Source Web-Based Project Management Software
- Top 5 Linux Video Editor Software
- Email FAQ to a friend
- Download PDF version
- Printable version
- Comment RSS feed
- Last Updated: 12/5/09
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
Found out i had to set the date like this:
# date -s 2007.04.08-22:46+0000
How can I set the proxy setting from the command prompt (bash shell)?
Just This code is ultimate.It is simple and worth full.Thank you very much providing help to people.
It Work’s Thanks a Lot,
Kiran.
mani– run:
export http_proxy=’http://10.10.1.2:3128′
It helped me to change the server timings without any difficulty. I tried to get help from the command prompt but it didn’t render anything. Thanks for the solution.
Do check and sync hardware clock with:
# hwclock –show
# hwclock –systohc
This configuration string is exactly what i’m searching for. thanks.
i had to set the date by using {date -s “wed jul 30 19:41:00 BST 2008″} while at the root.
hey thanks a million,
this worked right the first time…
was wondering how to do it untill i found ur site…
keep up the good work…very neat for freshers to *nix
cheers
You could also simplify the format of input date as example below
date +%Y%m%d -s "20080817"(set new date to August 17, 2008) without typing full date formatJust amazing command… & help.. gr88 work.. keep it up.
May allah bless you…
thank you!!!!
i have fedora 9 i can not change the time using his time control application. he ask for my root password, and then he says that it is not correct…. crazy program :)
the man page of date did not showed me any example, i what i tried was not accepted.
thank you.
Thanks
this is gr8
I synced HW clk with sysstem clock also.
But after reboot the time is again changed
The man page for the ‘date’ command is WORTHLESS.
Now that I read here how to format the input string in order to set the clock my life is good. THANK YOU!
thanks !
very nice article, super easy :)
Thanks brother,
It has worked. Great work…!
date set=”2 OCT 2006 18:00:00″
it is doesn’t work.
I have to change my linux system time./ Right now it is shows correct time on my machine but when i open my gmail account it’s shows wrong time of my emails.Due to it’s system time.
Any idea?
Anyone has ideas how to set Dates 1 day or 2 dates ago. What about setting it +2 hours in advance etc ?
Hi All,
The problem I’m having is, the time/date changes at the time I do it, but doesn’t hold after a reboot – how can i lock it into the Server’s clock..
Neelesh – Try date -s ”2 OCT 2006 18:00:00″ instead
Nickalf. . .
Thanx alot.. working properly
date -s ”2 OCT 2006 18:00:00″ is set for the time being. Need o set CMOS clock using “hwclock” command. That will be right solution.
SIDE NOTE RE: SETTING HWCLOCK
format should be:
# hwclock –systohc
(note double -)
CHeers!
Thanks alot
THis has worked like yesterday
Keep up the good work.
Regards,
George Ndung’u
IT & Logistics Manager
LSHS
Dear Sir,
Thanks a Lot.
Ajay
Thanks!!!
One more thank you for your simple explanation and great example. I couldn’t figure out the format from reading the date man page.
Nice
Thank you so much, it works.
Thank you! This information was very helpful.
Some of the examples you have presented here would be hard to derive from the
dateman page.I’ve just got a Datawind Ubisurfer and to set the date/time I had to type:
# date 07252208002009
25 July 2009 time 20:08
decodes as # date MMDDhhmmssYYYY
month day hour minutes seconds year
Thanks for other scripts they sent me in the right direction.
(This does come up as UTC whatever that is!)
this is awesome.. thnks a lot..
Thanks…:)
Thanks its works….!!!
Thanks It Works.
Thanks for giving the command.. It’s very helpful for me.
info date Examples
I am a layman in linux, but this sure helped me change my server time remotely.thankyou.
Thanks C Chavez. I had a real time trying to get the hwclock to stop resetting. One line and BAM! Thanks again!
THIS COMMAND DOESN’T WORK FOR OPEN BSD TO CHANGE THE DATE AND TIME
Thanks Man :) it have worked for me ;-)
Dear sir,
Many Thanks for the help
Thanks
Thank you , Murugesh . This is the first time I have ever found those ‘Info’ pages useful . I need this for a SQL script at work that needs to fetch data from 7 days ago . Murugesh to the rescue!
[ ~ ] date –date=’7 days ago’
Wed Oct 28 20:39:35 GMT 2009
[ ~ ]
– Mario
It works, I have to check any time changing after restart the PC
thanks it worked in first time… Really Thanks
Thanks a lot for your help
$ sudo date +%Y%m%d%T -s “20081225 10:05:00″
[sudo] password for nenopera:
2008122510:05:00
$ date
Thu Dec 25 10:05:02 EST 2008
`date +%G%m%d`-acb.txt
this is my current date format. I wants to set last day’s date instead of current. I try this from last week . Plz help me…………