09_set_server_timezone.yml - Usage Guide

Modifies State

Purpose

This playbook sets the server timezone to Europe/Istanbul, enables the time-sync services found by 08_check_server_time.yml (chrony/systemd-timesyncd/ntpd — whichever is installed) and marks them enabled at boot, then verifies the result with timedatectl. When run on its own it first runs 08_check_server_time.yml (import_playbook) to report the pre-change state; the discovered service list (time_services fact) is reused in the second play to start those services.

Note: It is normal for RTC time to differ from Local time — Linux typically keeps the hardware clock (RTC) in UTC, and Local time applies the timezone offset. Matching RTC time and Universal time is the expected/correct behavior.

⚠️ Unlike the others, this playbook is not a read-only check — it actually changes the target server’s system timezone.

Requirements

  • hosts: all — runs on every node.
  • The community.general collection is required (community.general.timezone module).
  • Prefer --limit to a specific host/group instead of hosts: all.
  • The timezone task runs with become: true (sudo). timedatectl set-timezone is a D-Bus/polkit operation via org.freedesktop.timedate1 that requires root; without sudo, polkit never grants approval in a non-interactive SSH session and the request fails with “Connection timed out”. Unlike the read-only commands in other playbooks, this is a real system change, so sudo is required.
  • The first block of the result/verification reports is machine identity (HOST + hostname); use it to tell which output belongs to which node.

How to run 

# See what would change first (no changes on the system):
ansible-playbook -i inventories/musteri_a/hosts.ini playbooks/09_set_server_timezone.yml --check --diff

# Apply for real:
ansible-playbook -i inventories/musteri_a/hosts.ini playbooks/09_set_server_timezone.yml

# Limit to a specific host:
ansible-playbook -i inventories/musteri_a/hosts.ini playbooks/09_set_server_timezone.yml --limit master

Sample output 

PLAY [Server Time and Timezone Report] *****************************************
... (output from 08 — state before the change) ...

PLAY [Set Server Timezone to Europe/Istanbul] **********************************

TASK [Set timezone to Europe/Istanbul] *****************************************
changed: [203.0.113.10]

TASK [Timezone change result] **************************************************
ok: [203.0.113.10] => {
    "msg": "Timezone changed to Europe/Istanbul"
}

TASK [Time sync service enablement report] *************************************
ok: [203.0.113.10] => (item=systemd-timesyncd.service) => {
    "msg": "systemd-timesyncd.service -> already active and enabled"
}

TASK [Verification report] *****************************************************
ok: [203.0.113.10] => {
    "msg": "               Local time: Tue 2026-07-28 14:xx:xx +03\n...\n                Time zone: Europe/Istanbul (+03, +0300)\n..."
}