How To Switch Time Format from 12 Hour to 24 Hour in Command Line

In this tutorial, we will be discussing how you can switch the time format from a 12-hour to a 24-hour format in the command line. This can be a useful skill to have, especially if you are working with servers or systems that require time data in a specific format.

Understanding Time Formats

Before we dive into the commands, let’s first understand the two time formats. The 12-hour format is commonly used in the United States and a few other countries, and it divides the day into two periods: AM (from midnight to noon) and PM (from noon to midnight). On the other hand, the 24-hour format, also known as military time in the U.S., is used in most countries around the world and represents time from 0 to 23 hours.

Switching Time Formats in GNOME-based Systems

If you are using a GNOME-based system, you can switch the time format using the gsettings command. Here’s how:

• To set the time format to 12-hour, use the following command:

gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime time-format 12-hour

• To set the time format to 24-hour, use the following command:

gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.datetime time-format 24-hour

In these commands, gsettings is a command-line interface to GSettings, which allows you to manipulate the configuration parameters of your system. The set command is used to change a key’s value. com.canonical.indicator.datetime is the schema and time-format is the key that we are modifying.

Switching Time Formats in MATE Desktop Environment

If you are using the MATE desktop environment, you can switch the time format using the dconf command. Here’s how:

• To set the time format to 12-hour, use the following command:

dconf write /org/mate/panel/objects/clock/prefs/format "'12-hour'"

• To set the time format to 24-hour, use the following command:

dconf write /org/mate/panel/objects/clock/prefs/format "'24-hour'"

In these commands, dconf is a low-level configuration system. The write command is used to change a key’s value. /org/mate/panel/objects/clock/prefs/format is the key that we are modifying.

Using the ‘date’ Command

The date command in Linux is used to display or set the system date and time. You can use it to display the time in 12-hour or 24-hour format.

• To display the time in 24-hour format, use the following command:

date +%R

or

date +%H:%M

• To display the time in 12-hour format, use the following command:

date +%r

or

date +%I:%M

In these commands, +%R and +%H:%M will display the time in 24-hour format, while +%r and +%I:%M will display the time in 12-hour format.

Changing System Global Date Display

You can also change the system-wide date display format by going to “Settings” and then “Region & Language”.

Modifying Locale Settings

Lastly, the time display format can also be affected by the locale settings. You can change the locale settings to switch between 12-hour and 24-hour formats. For example, setting LANG='en_US.UTF-8' will display the time in 12-hour format, while setting LANG='en_GB.UTF-8' will display it in 24-hour format.

Conclusion

Switching between 12-hour and 24-hour time formats in the command line can be done in a few different ways, depending on your system and settings. Whether you’re using gsettings, dconf, the date command, or changing your locale settings, you now have the knowledge to adjust your time display as needed.