Set the system clock to 2026-08-20 14:30:00 on a systemd system.
Which command is appropriate?
timedatectl set-time changes the system clock; consider interaction with active NTP synchronization.
Detailed explanation
timedatectl set-timezone '2026-08-20 14:30:00'Incorrect. set-timezone expects a timezone identifier.
Incorrect. set-timezone expects a timezone identifier.
timedatectl status '2026-08-20 14:30:00'Incorrect. status only displays information.
Incorrect. status only displays information.
hwclock --show '2026-08-20 14:30:00'Incorrect. hwclock --show reads the RTC.
Incorrect. hwclock --show reads the RTC.
timedatectl set-time '2026-08-20 14:30:00'Correct. set-time accepts the requested date and time.
Correct. set-time accepts the requested date and time.
Try it yourself
An example you can run in a temporary verification environment.
timedatectl --help 2>&1 | grep 'set-time ' | head -n 1Expected result
set-time TIMEのhelp行Key points
- set-time changes system clock
- Separate from set-timezone
- Requires privilege
Notes
- Environment: timedatectl helpの読取のみ
- Command output formatting can vary slightly by distribution or tool version.
- Run the example in a temporary directory or process when possible.
Foundation review
Read the scope first
Check whether the command acts on the current shell, a new process, an existing process, or a file.
Verify the observable result
Use the supplied command and compare the output with the expected result.