timezone

Sets the system timezone idempotently.

Parameters

States

The timezone executor does not use a state parameter. It always ensures the timezone matches the desired value.

Reversal

timezone has no state: absent retraction — a host always has a timezone. Instead it is reversible: the agent snapshots the value it first finds on the node (write-once) before changing it, and revert: true restores that prior value.

• revert: true restores the snapshotted prior value, then reports settled on subsequent runs (idempotent — it never flaps).
• If no snapshot was captured on this node (the resource never applied here, or agent state was rebuilt), revert fails loud at apply rather than guessing a default — set the desired timezone explicitly instead.
• A normal (non-revert) apply re-arms reversal: it re-captures the current value as the new prior.

Removing the resource from config does not undo it — that only stops enforcement; the timezone Vigo set persists. Use revert: true to actively restore.

Idempotency

Reads the current timezone and compares it against the desired value. Only changes the timezone when they differ.

Examples

Basic

resources:
  - name: Set timezone
    type: timezone
    timezone: America/New_York

UTC

resources:
  - name: Set timezone to UTC
    type: timezone
    timezone: UTC

Platform

Linux only. Uses timedatectl set-timezone with a fallback to symlinking /etc/localtime. On Windows, the same type: timezone maps to the timezone_windows executor.

Notes

• Prefers timedatectl (systemd). Falls back to creating a symlink from /etc/localtime to /usr/share/zoneinfo/<timezone>.
• Timezone names follow the IANA Time Zone Database format (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London).