According to the Install Guide (gentoo-build.html): 13.Final steps: timezone At this point, you should have a stage3 system that's ready for final configuration. We'll start this process by setting the timezone. By setting the timezone before building the kernel we ensure that users get reasonable uname -a output. Look for your timezone (or GMT if you using Greenwich Mean Time) in /usr/share/zoneinfo. Then, make a symbolic link by typing: # ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/path/to/timezonefile /etc/localtime This I did: # ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/London /etc/localtime and then built my kernel and rebooted. But now I have: # uname -a Linux penguin.ruskin 2.4.19-win4lin #1 Thu Aug 29 14:42:11 Local time zone must be set--see zic manu i686 AuthenticAMD ... and I do *not* call that reasonable uname -a output. I have two gentoo installations on the same box - 1.2 and 1.4beta and both exhibit this behaviour. BTW, `zdump Europe/London` correctly shows: Europe/London Wed Sep 11 13:42:11 2002 BST
im almost certain you need to rebuild your kernel uname reads a string out of the kernel ... that string gets made at compile time ... if your timezone was not set when the compile happened it'll show 'you need to set your timezone' recap: i *do* call that reasonable uname output ;)
Well, you're right. I just rebuilt my kernel and rebooted and now I get: $ uname -a Linux penguin.ruskin 2.4.19-win4lin #1 Thu Sep 12 11:49:55 BST 2002 i686 AuthenticAMD I swear I set the timezone before I built the kernel previously but it didn't take.