Guide: Install NTP and Set Time Zone to America/Chicago on Debian 11
This guide will help you install NTP for accurate time synchronization and set your system’s time zone to America/Chicago (Central Time).
Step 1: Update System Packages
First, update your package list to ensure you have the latest repository information.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Step 2: Install NTP
Now, install the ntp package:
sudo apt install ntp -y
Once installed, check if the NTP service is running:
sudo systemctl status ntp
If it’s not running, start and enable it:
sudo systemctl enable --now ntp
Step 3: Set Time Zone to America/Chicago
To set your time zone to Central Time (America/Chicago), use:
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Chicago
Verify the change:
timedatectl status
You should see:
Time zone: America/Chicago (CST, -0600)
If daylight saving time is active, it may show CDT instead.
Step 4: Restart and Sync Time
Restart the NTP service to apply changes:
sudo systemctl restart ntp
Manually sync time with an NTP server:
sudo ntpdate -u 0.debian.pool.ntp.org
Check the current time:
date
Step 5: Verify NTP Synchronization
Ensure your system is syncing correctly with NTP servers:
ntpq -p
This should display a list of NTP servers your system is using.
Conclusion
You have now installed NTP and set your system time zone to America/Chicago. Your system should automatically sync time with NTP servers.