nodejs/node

/etc/localtime symlink handling

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#26,880 opened on Mar 23, 2019

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Description

  • Version: v11.7.0
  • Platform: Linux gallium 4.19.25 1-NixOS SMP PREEMPT Sat Feb 23 08:07:27 UTC 2019 x86_64 GNU/Linux
  • Subsystem:

Node has trouble figuring out the timezone if /etc/localtime is an indirect symlink. Here's some examples in the REPL

> Date()
'Sun Mar 24 2019 01:42:40 GMT+1000 (GMT+10:00)'    # Wrong, it's GMT+11 in Sydney right now
> new Date().toLocaleString()
'3/24/2019, 1:42:55 AM'                            # Similarly to above
> Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone
undefined

Even worse, in electron:

> new Date().toLocaleString()
VM575:1 Uncaught RangeError: Unsupported time zone specified undefined
    at new DateTimeFormat (native)
    at Date.toLocaleString (native)
    at <anonymous>:1:12

This is the cause of FreeTubeApp/FreeTube#233. It might also be the cause of ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#5609 and flathub/im.riot.Riot#32.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate Node.js timezone detection, specifically the symlink resolution for /etc/localtime. The issue occurs when /etc/localtime is an indirect symlink. Look at the C++ code in node time.cc or similar for timezone initialization. Reproduce with a custom symlink setup and trace the logic to see where the symlink chain is not fully resolved.
Tech stack
javascriptnodejs
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitC++
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40