tzselect Command in Linux
The tzselect is an interactive command in Linux that is used to select the timezone. It does not set the system time zone but helps identify the correct time zone string based on geographic selections.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the tzselect command −
Syntax of tzselect Command
The syntax of the tzselect command in Linux is as follows −
tzselect [options]
The [options] field in the syntax is used to specify various options to change the output, such as displaying the help message and version.
tzselect Command Options
The options of the tzselect command in Linux are listed below −
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| -c coord | Select time zones by proximity to coordinates (coord) in ISO 6709 format (example: +40.689-074.045). - Latitude and longitude are signed, optional decimal. - Degrees (DD/DDD), minutes (MM), seconds (SS) supported in various formats (example: +4041.4-07402.7). |
| -n limit | When used with -c, limits the number of closest time zone results (default: 10). |
| --help | Displays help information and exits. |
| --version | Displays version information and exits. |
Examples of tzselect Command in Linux
This section explains how to use the tzselect command in Linux with examples −
- Selecting a Timezone Interactively
- Selecting a Timezone by Coordinates
- Limiting the Number of Nearest Timezones
- Displaying Usage Help
Selecting a Timezone Interactively
To select a timezone interactively, use the tzselect command without any option −
tzselect
The above command prompts step-by-step for the continent, country, and then region or city.
Selecting a Timezone by Coordinates
To select a timezone by coordinates, use the -c option followed by coordinates. For example, to look up time zones near 40.689° N, 74.045° W (New York area), use the following command −
tzselect -c +40.689-074.045
To convert the degrees in longitude and latitude in ISO 6709 (±[latitude][±longitude]), use the following calculation −
Latitude −
- 40.689° N > +40.689
- Pad to 2 digits before decimal: +40.689
Longitude −
- 74.045° W > â74.045
- Pad to 3 digits before decimal: -074.045
Limiting the Number of Nearest Timezones
By default, the 10 closest time zones around a specific zone are listed. To reduce the number of listed nearby time zones, use the -n option followed by a number. For example, to limit it to 5 only, use the tzselect command in the following manner −
tzselect -c +4041.4-07402.7 -n 5
Displaying Usage Help
To display the usage help message of the tzselect command, use the --help option −
tzselect --help
Conclusion
The tzselect command in Linux provides an interactive way to determine the correct time zone based on geographic location or coordinates. It does not apply changes to the system but helps identify the appropriate time zone string. The command supports several options, such as selecting by coordinates and limiting the number of results, and includes flags for displaying help or version information.
In this tutorial, we covered the tzselect command, its syntax, options, and usage in Linux with examples.