The clock command is a Linux command that is used to adjust the Real Time Clock (RTC) time. The RTC is a hardware component that keeps track of the current date and time, and is used by the system to maintain time even when the system is turned off. The clock command allows you to set the RTC time to the current system time or to a specific date and time.
Overview
The clock command can be used to set the RTC time to the current system time by running the following command:
clock -w
This command will write the current system time to the RTC.
You can also set the RTC time to a specific date and time by running the following command:
clock -s "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS"
Replace “YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS” with the desired date and time in the format of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. For example, to set the RTC time to January 1st, 2022 at 12:00:00 AM, you would run the following command:
clock -s "2022-01-01 00:00:00"
Options
The following options are available for the clock command:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -s | Set the RTC time to the specified date and time |
| -w | Write the current system time to the RTC |
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter issues with the clock command, make sure that the RTC is enabled in your system’s BIOS settings. Additionally, if the RTC time is not being set correctly, you may need to replace the RTC battery.
Notes
- The
clockcommand must be run as the root user or with sudo privileges. - The RTC time is used by the system to maintain time even when the system is turned off, so it is important to ensure that the RTC time is set correctly.
- The
datecommand can be used to display the current system time and the RTC time.