Time date setting add to Web ui

[Dentonknifeworks]

I would like to see a Time and date set in the WEB UI.
Yes I have RTCs on the portable cameras but sometimes they fail and as I take them camping in the RV there are times I am in a different time zone. Would be nice to be able to set the time using the WEB UI.
Make the settings a drop-down list the less typing the better.
Thanks
Brad

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks Do you mean the ability to sync the Pi's time to the device you are using to view the WebUI? So, for example, if you are using a PC to access the WebUI and the PC's time is 2000-06-26 13:41:00 then clicking the "Set Time" button would set the Pi to that time?

Eric

[Dentonknifeworks]

Yes

[Dentonknifeworks]

Any luck on this? I have been trying to find a way to do the code as a simple link but can't find anything on Google search.

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks, I haven't had a chance to look at it. It's on my to-do list but won't make it in the next release, which is close to being ready for user testing.
I don't think this will be too hard to implement. I expect the "Set time" button will go in the System page of the WebUI, and would cause PHP to execute the command to set the Pi's time.

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks, I would probably use code very similar to the "Start allsky" code that's in /var/www/html/includes/system.php.

[Dentonknifeworks]

Thanks for this It gives me a starting place. hmmm Close to being ready for user testing I am up for that! I have an ASI, HQ, and an IMX378 up and running. Yes I am addicted to them LOL

[Dentonknifeworks]

So I started looking into this and found that I could use Javascript to get the browser date and time and format it out with no problem.
I have a string var dat = sudo date -s '2022-09-15 16:12:09'
So now I am thinking I can pass this to a PHP script and pass system($string) using $string = "<script>document.writeln(dat);</script>"; but no that don't work. If I echo"<script>document.writeln(dat);</script>"; in the PHP script I get the sudo date -s '2022-09-15 16:12:09'
I have to be missing the boat.

[EricClaeys]

Try setting the time in a hidden html

field, and pass that to the php script into a variable called $newDate, then do system("sudo date -s '$newDate'");
Ideally clicking on the "Set time" button would update the javascript time, then call the php script with that updated time.

[Dentonknifeworks]

So I have this test code.
The echo in the PHP works now but not the system call
code.zip

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks In the .html file you call "form.php" but the file you attached is called "sample.php". Also, in the .html file the variable that holds the string is called "dateIV" but in "sample.php" you check for "Chg".

I suggest just passing the new time, and in the .php file, doing system("sudo date -s '$newTime'");
The code is a little cleaner that way, plus the form field doesn't contain the "sudo date -s" in it.

Also, I suggest checking for errors, for example:

$output = system("sudo date -s '$newTime' 2>&1", $retCode);
if ($retCode != 0) {
    echo "Got error code $retCode";
}
if ($output != "") echo "output = $output";

[Dentonknifeworks]

well now the zip I uploaded did not have my current test code as to the Form.php error and such yes I have that all correct.
Thanks for looking.

[Dentonknifeworks]

Well. now I have gotten to the point where I am getting Got error code "output = sudo: a password is required
1" from the system("sudo date -s '$newTime'");

[Dentonknifeworks]

Code
test.html.zip

[Dentonknifeworks]

I got around the Password required issue but now the date from the html is not the same in the PHP AAARRRRGGG LOL are we having fun yet?

[Dentonknifeworks]

I got it working.
Code attached

timechange.zip

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks For the sudo failure you simply add a line to /etc/sudoers.d/allsky that looks like the other lines but uses/usr/bin/date. The next version of Allsky will include that line in anticipation of implementing your change.

What does timedatectl set-ntp false do?

[EricClaeys]

@Dentonknifeworks I'm curious regarding the pro's and con's of using date -s NEW_TIME versus timedatectl set-time NEW_TIME. It looks like either would work. Is there a reason to turn of ntp sync? At a minimum I think we'd want that to be optional.

[Dentonknifeworks]

I am on the fence if I need the NTP turned off for this. I did so for testing on a none hotspot connection. With it on and connected to the internet the NTP would override the time setting. One could say if you were out in the field then you could leave it on and it would just fail and the time set would work.