"Date and Time Settings" GUI in Ubuntu 14.04 is not working?

Question

I have been trying to access the Date and Time setting in my Ubuntu 14.04 to modify the time (which is wrong).

I click in the hour in the top-right corner of the top bar, and then in "Date & Time Settings..." 1. Instead it takes me to "System Settings" 2. If I tried to click on "Time & Date" in "System Settings", it just closes the "System Settings" screen.

If I start the gnome-control-center from the command line I get the following:

(unity-control-center:4000): GLib-GIO-ERROR **: Settings schema 
'com.canonical.indicator.datetime' does not contain a key named 'show-year' 
Trace/breakpoint trap

I went to sudo dconf-editor and check in com > canonical > indicator > datetime. I can confirm that show-year doesn't exist. I am not sure if I can simply add a new variable there and if it is so, how?

Thanks!

1 Date and Time Settings

2 System Settings

Solution 1

That error message is odd. It does not find a key which indeed exists in one of the files belonging to the indicator-datetime package. This command reinstalls the package:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall indicator-datetime

Also, it should be noted that in Ubuntu 14.04 it's unity-control-center to open System Settings from command line, not gnome-control-center. It should be possible to have both the packages installed, but based on my experience there is a risk for conflicts/confusion. So I would recommend that the gnome-control-center package is uninstalled.

Solution 2

try using this cli

pkill -f indicator-datetime-service

clock will appear directly.

credit : @Sneetsher

Solution 3

Another work around. Change the timezone in the command line:

1. Open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T)

2. Type and press Enter

   sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata
   

3. Search for your timezone in the screens

Solution 4

try to type "Time" (without the quote) in the right top search box of the "All Settings"

But likley this will crash too. Please start the "All Settings" / System Settings via command line: gnome-control-center

and try to access Date & Time, if it crash the terminal might give you an inside why.

Otherwise you can set the date and time via command line (see here: What is the command line statement for changing the System clock?)

View more solutions

Comments

[toto_tico]

The command line worked except that it return to the previous time after restarting the computer. My guess is that it is related to the timezone and not the time itself.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@toto_tico: You may want to uninstall gnome-control-center. That package is not needed in Ubuntu 14.04, and might cause some confusion.

[toto_tico]

now this is strange. The Date & Time of the unity-control-center doesn't work, even with root privileges. However, the gnome-control-center does - but only with root privileges. I can infer from the layout that the gnome-control-center is redirecting to the unity-control-center, however this doesn't happen with root privileges.

[toto_tico]

Regarding the error Settings schema 'com.canonical.indicator.datetime' does not contain a key named 'show-year', I went to sudo dconf-editor and check in com/canonical/indicator/datetime. I can confirm that show-year doesn't exist. I am not sure if I can simply add a new variable there and if it so, how?

[toto_tico]

One last piece of information. The Date & Time of sudo gnome-control-center (see answer below) just works when both gnome-control-center and ubuntu-control-center are installed. None of them work without root permissions.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@toto_tico: Running any of them with sudo is simply crazy. You may have polluted $HOME with root owned config settings. Please launch a guest session. If it works as expected there, you know that the problem lies in your $HOME.

[toto_tico]

Thanks, but it is not working as a guest session. The error is related to the variable show-year in the dconf-editor. For what I can see, the gnome-control-center doesn't need it but the unity-control-center does.

[toto_tico]

I have the same problems with the guest session, regardless the way I use to access it. The problem seems to be related to the dconf-editor because the show-year doesn't exist.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@toto_tico: I see. As regards show-year, you may want to try sudo apt-get install --reinstall indicator-datetime, because it does exist in the original schema.

[toto_tico]

Yay! It is almost working. For some reason, Date & Time settings keeps redirecting me to the System Settings instead of the Date & Time Settings. However, I will survive with this solution - not driving me crazy each time I travel. Please, add it as an answer, and I will give you the points. Thanks

[toto_tico]

Awesome! Finally working properly. I have been carrying this error for more than a year. If your reputation is not important, put the answer for the community. Cheers!

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@toto_tico: Ok, I rewrote the answer.

[Berto]

This is what worked for me after using tzdata to change the timezone at the command line, in Ubuntu 16.04LTS. Seems like a bug that should be fixed by now.