Every since I started using Red Hat Linux in June 2001, I've had a rather funny problem: The time goes backwards. That is, the time goes forwards, but slowly.

So, after I've reset it to the correct time (e.g 10:43 20 apr 2003), after 2 days the time will be '23:10 21 apr 2003' !

The problem continues with RH 8.0.

I'm not sure if its a problem with my pc or RH. It used to be fine with Win 98....

To top that, redhat-config-date on RH 8.0 crashes,giving a python exception (I'll post the exact exception later...). So I can't even reset it using a GUI. I have to reboot into the BIOS, and reset the hardware clock correctly.

Finally, this problem is more problematic when I'm compiling some programs with make & gcc: "The compilation may not be complete. A clock skew was detected."

And yes, I'm 2 years late in posting my problem. But no ! According to my clock, I'm only a few months late.


I'd appreciate any help,

Regards, Ahsan

my mobo is playing up too, think it's something in the bios as it's also not booting at all sometimes.

I use an ntpd client daemon to continually synchronize the time from a number of official ntp servers online. this is better than just using a one off rdate server as the daemon will keep track of the drift time and anticipate time changes and cause the time to change gradually rather than just suddenly changing the time and loosing 3000 seconds at one time, which can easily affect your system.

I currently observe the same on a RHEL distro

so far, I could not find the reason of the problem

/sbin/hwclock -> indicates correct time
/sbin/clock -> indicates correct time
date -> gives a wrong date

sleep does not work
systems hangs repeatidly during 20sec - 2 minutes

ntpd is installed but not running (/etc/init.d/ntpd present, but ps -ef |grep ntpd returns nothing)

It is probably your mother board clock. To check switch on computer and go into the bios and set the system time and date as precisely as possible, a mobile phone should be best for this. Exit bios and shut down without starting the os. Leave as long as possible before starting the machine and check the bios time setting against the time standard you used and see how far out they are. If the mb clock is off try replacing the battery. If that makes no difference the mb clock can usually be adjusted, there is usually a potentiometer, a little square device with a screw driver slot in the top, located near the clock chip (usually a TI device). There will probably be only the one pot. on the board anyway. Adjust the pot. with a fine bladed screw driver, I'm afraid it is just trial and error from now on.

As acid_kewpie suggests you will probably be better off using a program that automagically updates the system clock from one of the national time standard servers. I don't know how to do this with Linux but this is what we do at work on our windoze machines.

You and your computer are not by any chance moving close to the speed of light relative to each other?

It would be nice if threads from 2003 were not bumped, and new threads were made instead

OMG, He went backwards!
I think we lost him.













... Godspeed!