Synchronizing time and setting the correct timezone for your server is a basic but extremely important configuration step. This article will guide you on how to accurately set the Vietnam timezone (GMT+7) for your Linux server.
Why is Time Synchronization Important?
Accurate system time is a mandatory requirement for many tasks:
Method 1: Using timedatectl (Recommended)
On modern operating systems (CentOS 7+, Ubuntu 16+, Debian 8+), timedatectl is the standard and recommended tool for managing system time. It is simpler and safer than the traditional method.
- Step 1: Check the Current Timezone
Open a terminal and run the following command to see the server's current time settings.
timedatectlYou will see output similar to this:
Local time: Wed 2025-07-16 03:48:59 UTC
Universal time: Wed 2025-07-16 03:48:59 UTC
RTC time: Wed 2025-07-16 03:48:59
Time zone: Etc/UTC (UTC, +0000)
System clock synchronized: yes
systemd-timesyncd.service active: yes
RTC in local TZ: no - Step 2: Set the Vietnam Timezone
Execute the following command to change the system's timezone to
Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh.sudo timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh - Step 3: Enable Network Time Protocol (NTP) Synchronization
To ensure the system clock is always accurate, enable the NTP service. This service will automatically synchronize your server's time with time servers around the world.
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true - Step 4: Verify the Changes
Run the
timedatectlcommand again to make sure the timezone has been changed and NTP is active.timedatectlThe "Time zone" line will now show
Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh (GMT+7).
Method 2: Using the ln Command (Traditional Way)
This is an older method that still works on most Linux systems. The steps below are similar to your original guide but include time synchronization using chrony (which replaces the outdated rdate).
- Step 1: Back up and Create the Timezone Symlink
# Back up the old localtime file
sudo mv /etc/localtime /etc/localtime.old
# Create a symbolic link to the Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh timezone file
sudo ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh /etc/localtime - Step 2: Synchronize Time with Chrony
Chrony is the default NTP service on RHEL/CentOS 7+ distributions.
# Install Chrony (if not already installed)
# On CentOS/RHEL:
sudo yum install -y chrony
# On Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt-get install -y chrony
# Start and enable the Chrony service
sudo systemctl start chronyd
sudo systemctl enable chronyd
# Force an immediate time synchronization
sudo chronyc makestep
Conclusion
Using timedatectl is the highly recommended method due to its simplicity, safety, and consistency across modern operating systems. Whichever method you choose, ensure your server is always running on the correct timezone and is time-synchronized for stable and accurate operation.
