# mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql

`mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql` is a tool used to load [time zones](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets/internationalization-and-localization/time-zones) on systems that have a zoneinfo database to load the time zone tables ([time\_zone](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-time_zone-table), [time\_zone\_leap\_second](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-time_zone_leap_second-table), [time\_zone\_name](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-time_zone_name-table), [time\_zone\_transition](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-time_zone_transition-table) and [time\_zone\_transition\_type](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/system-tables/the-mysql-database-tables/mysql-time_zone_transition_type-table)) into the mysql database.

Previously, the client was called `mysql_tzinfo_to_sql`. It can still be accessed under this name, via a symlink in Linux, or an alternate binary in Windows.

Most Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and Solaris systems will have a zoneinfo database - Windows does not. The database is commonly found in the `/usr/share/zoneinfo` directory, or, on Solaris, the `/usr/share/lib/zoneinfo` directory.

## Usage

`mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql` can be called in several ways. The output is usually passed straight to the [mariadb client](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/clients-and-utilities/mariadb-client) for direct loading in the mysql database.

```bash
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql timezone_dir
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql timezone_file timezone_name
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql --leap timezone_file
```

## Resetting timezone tables

If there is a need to reset the timezone to the default, to before using `mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql`, one can do that by executing:

```sql
TRUNCATE TABLE mysql.time_zone;
TRUNCATE TABLE mysql.time_zone_name;
TRUNCATE TABLE mysql.time_zone_transition;
TRUNCATE TABLE mysql.time_zone_transition_type;
TRUNCATE TABLE mysql.time_zone_leap_second;
```

The old timezone values is in effect until the server is [restarted](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/administrative-sql-statements/shutdown).

## Examples

Most commonly, the whole directory is passed:

```bash
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql /usr/share/zoneinfo | mariadb -u root mysql
```

Load a single time zone file, `timezone_file`, corresponding to the time zone called `timezone_name` :

```bash
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql timezone_file timezone_name | mariadb -u root mysql
```

A separate command for each time zone and time zone file the server needs is required.

To account for leap seconds, use:

```bash
shell> mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql --leap timezone_file | mariadb -u root mysql
```

After populating the time zone tables, you should usually restart the server so that the new time zone data are correctly loaded.

<sub>*This page is licensed: CC BY-SA / Gnu FDL*</sub>

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