Ubuntu
gnome-panel package

clock location timezone database is inaccurate

Bug #196124 reported by QuentinHartman on 2008-02-27

This bug report is a duplicate of: Bug #185190: Clock applet chooses wrong timezone for many cities (eg Pittsburgh, Beijing). Edit Remove

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	GNOME Panel	Fix Released	Unknown	gnome-bugs #519823
	gnome-panel (Ubuntu)	Confirmed	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: gnome-panel

I've noticed at least one inaccuracy in the Location -> timezone mapping in the new clock applet in Hardy. In my case, when one searches for Eugene, OR, it sets the timezone to Mountain time, when it should be Pacific time. I don't yet know where it gets this data. If I figure it out, I'll correct it (and any other errors I find) and submit a patch...

The clock applet reports version 2.21.92

Revision history for this message

Alex Ruddick (alexrudd0) wrote on 2008-02-27:

I think the timezones are pulled from tzdata:
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tzdata

However, Launchpad refuses to let me add tzdata as a project. In any case, I guess you can download the .tar.gz and take a look around.

Revision history for this message

QuentinHartman (qhartman) wrote on 2008-02-27: Re: [Bug 196124] Re: clock location timezone database is inaccurate

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 9:50 AM, alexrudd <email address hidden> wrote:

> I think the timezones are pulled from tzdata:
> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tzdata
>
> However, Launchpad refuses to let me add tzdata as a project. In any
> case, I guess you can download the .tar.gz and take a look around.
>

I don't think the problem actually lies with the tzdata itself. That surely
is where it gets the actual timezone information, but it does not seem to be
where it gets the city database from. In my example above, Eugene does not
appear anywhere in the tzdata information that I can see. However, using the
"location" setup in the clock, there is another database of cities
somewhere, including latitude and longitude information for the city. This
information is (apparently) used to determine the timezone that the city is
in. This is where this bug appears. At least for Eugene, it is erroneously
placed into the Mountain time zone, not Pacific where it belongs.

--
-Regards-

-Quentin Hartman-

Revision history for this message

TerryG (tgalati4) wrote on 2008-02-28:

Marked to Confirmed. Reporter is committed to fixing this bug if someone can clearly explain how timezones are calculated for specific cities such as Eugene Oregon.

Changed in gnome-panel:
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Ralph Janke (txwikinger) wrote on 2008-03-01:

Is this the same behaviour as this bug: https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+bug/96151 ?

Revision history for this message

QuentinHartman (qhartman) wrote on 2008-03-01:

On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 8:54 PM, Ralph Janke <email address hidden>
wrote:

> Is this the same behaviour as this bug:
> https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+bug/96151 ?
>

Don't think it is the same behavior. Based on the description there, it's
hard to tell for sure, it could be. Does the KDE clock pull it's city
information from the same place Gnome does? It sounds like the cities
mentioned in #96151 are large enough that they are likely in the tzdata
package. When I'm back on a Linux machine I'll dig a bit and see what I can
see.

--
-Regards-

-Quentin Hartman-

Revision history for this message

Andrew Starr-Bochicchio (andrewsomething) wrote on 2008-03-01:

Bug #197085, Bug #196385, and Bug #185190 all have similar issues.

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater) on 2008-03-02