[Bug 2092236] [NEW] 24.04.1 tzdata wrong time zone, cannot reset, downgrade

[Ian! D. Allen]

Public bug reported:

See https://askubuntu.com/questions/1528949/time-setting-problems-with-
ubuntu-24-04

I upgraded two laptops from 22.04 to 24.04.1 and both resulted in an
inability to set the time zone correctly using the GUI settings.  The
notification bar showed the time in UTC, not EST, at the top centre.

My `/etc/timezone` contains `America/Toronto`, which should be EST.

I would select and save `America/Toronto UTC-05:00` in the GUI and then
the GUI would display `UTC (Toronto, Canada)`.  Toronto is EST, not UTC.

The output of the `date` command was always in UTC, and the time zone
was listed as the bogus `Canada` time zone instead of the correct EST:

    $ echo $TZ
    Canada/Eastern

    $ date                                                                     
    Thu Dec 19 18:50:46 Canada 2024 

The output of `timedatectl` was correct, showing the correct EST time
zone:

    $ timedatectl 
                   Local time: Thu 2024-12-19 14:26:09 EST
               Universal time: Thu 2024-12-19 19:26:09 UTC
                     RTC time: Thu 2024-12-19 19:26:09
                    Time zone: America/Toronto (EST, -0500)
    System clock synchronized: yes
                  NTP service: active
              RTC in local TZ: no

Downgrading from 2024 to `tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb` fixed the
problem on both machines; the time is correct and the `date` command
shows the time zone is now EST:

    # date
    Thu Dec 19 19:37:35 Canada 2024

    # dpkg -i /tmp/tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb 
    dpkg: warning: downgrading tzdata from 2024a-3ubuntu1.1 to 2022a-0ubuntu1
    (Reading database ... 217864 files and directories currently installed.)
    Preparing to unpack .../tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb ...
    Unpacking tzdata (2022a-0ubuntu1) over (2024a-3ubuntu1.1) ...
    Setting up tzdata (2022a-0ubuntu1) ...

    Current default time zone: 'America/Toronto'
    Local time is now:      Thu Dec 19 14:37:52 EST 2024.
    Universal Time is now:  Thu Dec 19 19:37:52 UTC 2024.
    Run 'dpkg-reconfigure tzdata' if you wish to change it.

    # date
    Thu Dec 19 14:37:53 EST 2024

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: tzdata 2022a-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-51.52-generic 6.8.12
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-51-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.3
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Dec 19 14:08:18 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-09-08 (1563 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: tzdata
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-11-28 (22 days ago)

** Affects: tzdata (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug noble tzdata

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2092236

Title:
  24.04.1 tzdata wrong time zone, cannot reset, downgrade

Status in tzdata package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  See https://askubuntu.com/questions/1528949/time-setting-problems-
  with-ubuntu-24-04

  I upgraded two laptops from 22.04 to 24.04.1 and both resulted in an
  inability to set the time zone correctly using the GUI settings.  The
  notification bar showed the time in UTC, not EST, at the top centre.

  My `/etc/timezone` contains `America/Toronto`, which should be EST.

  I would select and save `America/Toronto UTC-05:00` in the GUI and
  then the GUI would display `UTC (Toronto, Canada)`.  Toronto is EST,
  not UTC.

  The output of the `date` command was always in UTC, and the time zone
  was listed as the bogus `Canada` time zone instead of the correct EST:

      $ echo $TZ
      Canada/Eastern

      $ date                                                                     
      Thu Dec 19 18:50:46 Canada 2024 

  The output of `timedatectl` was correct, showing the correct EST time
  zone:

      $ timedatectl 
                     Local time: Thu 2024-12-19 14:26:09 EST
                 Universal time: Thu 2024-12-19 19:26:09 UTC
                       RTC time: Thu 2024-12-19 19:26:09
                      Time zone: America/Toronto (EST, -0500)
      System clock synchronized: yes
                    NTP service: active
                RTC in local TZ: no

  Downgrading from 2024 to `tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb` fixed the
  problem on both machines; the time is correct and the `date` command
  shows the time zone is now EST:

      # date
      Thu Dec 19 19:37:35 Canada 2024

      # dpkg -i /tmp/tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb 
      dpkg: warning: downgrading tzdata from 2024a-3ubuntu1.1 to 2022a-0ubuntu1
      (Reading database ... 217864 files and directories currently installed.)
      Preparing to unpack .../tzdata_2022a-0ubuntu1_all.deb ...
      Unpacking tzdata (2022a-0ubuntu1) over (2024a-3ubuntu1.1) ...
      Setting up tzdata (2022a-0ubuntu1) ...

      Current default time zone: 'America/Toronto'
      Local time is now:      Thu Dec 19 14:37:52 EST 2024.
      Universal Time is now:  Thu Dec 19 19:37:52 UTC 2024.
      Run 'dpkg-reconfigure tzdata' if you wish to change it.

      # date
      Thu Dec 19 14:37:53 EST 2024

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: tzdata 2022a-0ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-51.52-generic 6.8.12
  Uname: Linux 6.8.0-51-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.3
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Thu Dec 19 14:08:18 2024
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-09-08 (1563 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: tzdata
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-11-28 (22 days ago)

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