[sf-lug] UTC or not to UTC (for system default "local" time) (SF-LUG & BALUG: System OS upgrades)

[Michael Paoli]

[include: "SF-LUG & BALUG: System OS upgrades" (less quotes) within
Subject: header for folks to follow on this topic]

Also mentioned at Noisebridge Wednesday evening.
My earlier post on the topic to BUUG:
http://www.weak.org/pipermail/buug/2012-January/003913.html
And some interesting/noteworthy follow-ups on that list, see:
http://www.weak.org/pipermail/buug/2012-January/date.html

I don't think it's particularly important point for the particular host
OS housing the two VMs (SF-LUG & BALUG), but it does remain an at least
open question (and can be reevaluated and/or changed later ... but
probably best not to be willy-nilly changing it about).  Presently, at
least thus far, I'm more inclined, for that particular host and its
uses, systems administrators (and potential systems administrators),
etc., to probably keep it what's likely a bit "simpler" and less
confusing (a bit more "standard"/common in practice - at least thus
far, and thus a bit more "expected" - vs. "unexpected"), would be to
use the appropriate customary local timezone for the host's physical
location.  Of course, either way, there are advantages and
disadvantages.

On my new (as of 2011-12-15) personal laptop, I went with UTC for
system default "local" time.  And at least thus far, I'm happy with
that choice and like/prefer it, though "of course" it does have some
(minor) drawbacks.  Superuser (root) account, and most
anything/everything on that (laptop) host uses UTC.  For my own
personal individual user account, via one of the startup/login files
for the shell, it sets timezone to the customary local timezone (which
may change if/when the laptop travels far enough, and/or certain legal
bodies muck with stuff yet again).  So general "plan" there is mere
mortal user accounts (e.g. regular user login accounts) can effectively
set TZ for themselves as they wish (might even default creation of such
accounts to use customary local TZ by default), but pretty much
everything else, including cron/crond, uses UTC.