Update Mac OS X and Server to Daylight Saving Time 2007

by Guest Contributor | Mar 06, 2007 9:18:00 PM

Tags: Desktops, Operating systems, Guest Contributor, server, Apple Macintosh, Daylight Saving Time, Apple Mac OS, Apple Mac OS X, Software Update, software

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Takeaway: If you're using one of the latest versions of Mac OS X, the easiest way to update your Mac's clock for the early start to Daylight Saving Time is with Software Update. However, if you are using an older version of the operating system, you are on your own. You'll have to reset your clock manually, and not just once, but every time the clocks change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time.

By Chuck Toporek

This article is also available as a TechRepublic download.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear Daylight Saving Time? Spring forward, fall back? More sunshine? Losing an hour of sleep? Farmers and cows? Well, okay, maybe not the latter, but I think you get the picture. When it comes to Daylight Saving Time (DST), the times they are a changing (well, okay, they already have), and as with the whole Y2K "problem" a few years ago, it's important for you to keep your Mac's clock up to date as well.

If you're using one of the latest versions of Mac OS X (such as Panther or Tiger; 10.3.x and 10.4.x, respectively), the easiest way to update your Mac's clock is with Software Update. Apple released a DST 2007 update in mid-February for both the client and Server versions of Mac OS X. In fact, you might have even installed this update already.

To see if you have installed Apple's Daylight Saving Time Update, launch System Preferences (/Applications/Utilities), click on Software Update, and then select the Installed Updates tab. As shown in Figure A, if the update is installed, you'll see it in the list of updates installed on your Mac.

Figure A

The best way to see if you've already installed the Daylight Saving Time Update is to use the Software Update panel in System Preferences.

If you don't see that update in the list, you should run Software Update by clicking on the Update Software tab and clicking the Check Now button (shown in Figure B). Chances are, though, if you update your Mac on a regular basis, the update is already installed.

Figure B

To install updates on your Mac OS X system, launch System Preferences, click on the Software Update panel, and then click the Check Now button in the Update Software tab.

However, there is one caveat to this fix: Apple's DST update works only with the client and Server versions of Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger). If you are using an older version of the operating system (Mac OS X 10.2.8 or earlier, including Mac OS 9), you're on your own. You'll have to reset your clock manually, and not just once, but every time the clocks change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time. While this might seem like a pain, it's actually pretty easy to do.

Manually setting your Mac's clock

In earlier versions of Mac OS X, all you need to do is launch System Preferences and go to the Date & Time panel. Even if you have selected the Set Date & Time Automatically option to use Apple's time server (time.apple.com), you'll need to manually set the clock. To do this, you'll have to deselect the Set Date & Time Automatically option and then use the interface to change the time on your Mac's clock. For DST, move the clock ahead one hour, and for Standard Time (ST), move the clock back one hour.

If you're still one of the holdouts using Mac OS 9, you'll need to open the Date & Time Control Panel and change the time there. Remember, you'll need to deselect the option to observe Daylight Saving Time. If you are running Mac OS 9.2.2 in Classic mode under Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 will use the date and time settings from Mac OS X, so you won't need to mess with the Date & Time Control Panel. (And actually, you can't even use the Date & Time Control Panel when in Classic; it's available only if you boot into Mac OS 9.)

Here's a helpful hint. If you have to manually reset your Mac's clock, set up an event in iCal to remind you to turn your clock ahead or back. Of course, this works only if you have Mac OS X Jaguar (version 10.2.x) or greater. In fact, iCal didn't release until after Jaguar shipped, so if you're running Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later and you don't have iCal on your system, you can download it from Apple's Download site.

Updating Mac OS X Server

As we mentioned, the Daylight Saving Time Update from Apple will work with Mac OS X Server 10.3 and greater (Panther Server and Tiger Server). For earlier versions of Mac OS X Server, you will need to manually update the system clock following the same instructions noted earlier. That said, leave it to a couple crafty Server admins to come up with a solution to get the DST 2007 changes onto Mac OS X Server 10.2.8.

Back in January (long before Apple issued its official DST update), Ian Ward Comfort released an unofficial patch as a shell script on AFP548 that would update Panther Server. Jeremy Beyette took this a step further and modified Ian's script so it would work on Jaguar Server. If you're still using Panther Server, you should install Apple's official update, but if you're on Jaguar Server, there is an option thanks to Jeremy and Ian.

Final thoughts

So what happens if you don't install the DST update or manually update your Mac? Well, as far as we know, the time will be off on your Mac, which basically means that e-mails and such will appear to be sent an hour earlier or later, and system tasks (such as cronjobs and backups) will run at their designated time based on the system clock. Again, that could be an hour earlier or later than you would expect. As long as those tasks take place in the middle of the night when nobody is using the system, you shouldn't encounter any problems. But still, your timing will be off. The fixes are relatively easy, even if you have to manually set your Mac's clock.

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