GNU bug report logs - #14146
[date command] Possible bug

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Ivan Lombardi Borgia <ivan.lombardiborgia <at> gmail.com>
Subject: bug#14146: closed (Re: bug#14146: [date command] Possible bug)
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:28:02 +0000

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Your bug report

#14146: [date command] Possible bug

which was filed against the coreutils package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to 14146 <at> debbugs.gnu.org.

-- 
14146: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=14146
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

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From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
To: Ivan Lombardi Borgia <ivan.lombardiborgia <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 14146-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14146: [date command] Possible bug
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:24:27 -0600

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tag 14146 notabug
thanks

On 04/05/2013 03:13 AM, Ivan Lombardi Borgia wrote:
> Good morning,
> 
> for the 1th of April 2013 the command *date *has this interesting behaviour:
> *
> *
> *$ date*
> *Mon Apr  1 00:22:31 CEST 2013*
> *$ date -d 'yesterday'*
> *Sat Mar 30 23:22:38 CET 2013*

Did you notice the change in the time zone name from CEST to CET, based
on daylight savings?

> That doesn't happen for year 2012 and 2014.

Yeah, because daylight savings in your timezone falls on a different
date in those years.

> If you need more information just ask and I will try to respond as soon as
> possible.

You are hitting a typical usage problem.  This is not a bug in date, but
in your usage of it; you are failing to account that "yesterday"
translates to "24 hours ago", but that 24 hours ago close to midnight
when crossing over a 23-hour day (thanks to daylight savings) can cross
2 calendar days.

For more information, including the tip to base relative date
computation on noon instead of close to midnight, see the FAQ:

https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#The-date-command-is-not-working-right_002e

As such, I'm closing this as not a bug, although you may feel free to
continue replying if you have further questions.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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From: Ivan Lombardi Borgia <ivan.lombardiborgia <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: [date command] Possible bug
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 11:13:04 +0200

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Good morning,

for the 1th of April 2013 the command *date *has this interesting behaviour:
*
*
*$ date*
*Mon Apr  1 00:22:31 CEST 2013*
*$ date -d 'yesterday'*
*Sat Mar 30 23:22:38 CET 2013*
*
*
As you can read the date is 30 March instead of 31 the time 23:22 instead
of 00:22

I could verify that on:

   - my personal machine running:
   Linux dip03-ubu 3.2.0-40-generic-pae #64-Ubuntu
   date --version: date (GNU coreutils) 8.13
   - production servers running:
   Linux ecomappsrv01 2.6.38-8-generic-pae #42-Ubuntu
   date --version: date (GNU coreutils) 8.5

That doesn't happen for year 2012 and 2014.
It happens even using -u option.
It does not happen forcing date:
*date -d '2013-04-01 00:22:00 1 day ago' *
*Sun Mar 31 00:22:00 CET 2013*
*
*
If you need more information just ask and I will try to respond as soon as
possible.

Thank you, best regards.


Ivan Lombardi Borgia

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