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Hi Michael,<br>
<br>
Yeah, I'm not finding any good source either, which is partly why
I'm scratching my head about it. Seems like it should either be a
common problem (thus generating a lot of web support), or one that
is highly unusual. Since there is not the plethora of helpful web
sites (*), and there are a bazillion IoT devices out there, I wonder
why are we so unusual / unique in this? What did we miss?<br>
<br>
Regardless, we are here. I think at this point the site we
currently link to is probably the best resource. You do have good
prompts within the empty fields, but perhaps add "Refer to Example
Strings link below for your locale" to make it more explicit that
this requires a little bit of work to set properly.<br>
<br>
Greg<br>
<br>
(*) Most of the sites I found were either for programmers looking
for source examples to access the locale data, or links to create
random gibberish which I find oddly appropriate. None were for
common folks in need of a TZ string.<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Michael Balzer wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:e4a4ed0c-b9f2-026e-7690-401d58590114@expeedo.de">
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Greg,<br>
<br>
I haven't found a web site that offers a simple timezone string
generator, your links also don't provide that.<br>
<br>
I can include a list of standard zones for the main
regions/capital cities into the web UI. Can you provide that?<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
Michael<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 23.05.2018 um 01:36 schrieb Greg
D.:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:67887f98-f18d-050a-4431-74c07bed6d38@gmail.com">
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Hi Steve, all,<br>
<br>
This totally highlights the problem. No offense intended to the
developers (myself included), but we've not structured the
product very well for "normal" folks who are somewhat technical,
but have no inside knowledge of the product, prior versions,
Linux, ESP-IDF, etc. <br>
<br>
How was I to know what to put in the Timezone field? Bear with
me as I walk through my troubled mental process... And please
take this as me trying to be helpful.<br>
<br>
// Begin Rant<br>
<br>
So, I've seen configuration screens a bazillion times asking for
timezone. If there's not a pull-down, usually I would put in -7
for the US Pacific Daylight Time that I'm in right now, or -8 if
on Standard Time, and make a mental note to change it next
fall. Not a big deal; there are a dozen "clocks" here at the
house that need semi-yearly care. What's one more? Sometimes
the config would be -8 with a checkbox for enabling DST. More
recent product config screens sometimes use cities, with Los
Angeles being our "local" example. That's been the set, so
glancing at (but not truly understanding the implications of)
the fine print on the configuration screen, I simply put in my
-7 and moved on. It's been that way for weeks, and I never
noticed anything wrong until I saw the "GMT" reference on the
Time at Boot status that I recently added. Should have been
"PDT". Something's wrong. Playing the ever-so-observant beta
tester, I dig in...<br>
<br>
So, back to the config screen I went. First, where was it? I
was doing a firmware update, but it's not there, and there's no
General config tab. Nothing labeled "Time". Finally found it
under Vehicle. Really? I see my -7 still sitting there, so it
wasn't lost. Finally I re-read the comment about a web link to
"Example Timezone Strings", and think, huh, I guess there must
be some other way to say "-7". I click on the link, and scan
down the table. It says USA & Canada, Pacific Time, and
PST8PDT. Odd, but ok. Copy & paste. Hit Save. Go back to
the status page, and see PDT on the aforementioned boot status
line. Also see the upgrade was done yesterday afternoon, and
realize that was 2am GMT, so I guess it checks out. Annoying,
but DONE.<br>
<br>
Now you tell me I'm <i>not done</i>, and that I really needed
to click on the second link to the man page on glibc? And <i>understand</i>
it? Then research what the rules for DST computation are in my
country, state, and so forth, to craft some sort of command
lingo for the TZ engine?<br>
<br>
Reality check here. My HP 100LX palmtop, manufactured in <b><i>1992,</i></b>
does a better job at handling this. We've taken a simple task
of entering a small, well known signed integer, and turned it
into an exercise in POSIX programming and international
politics. This for a parameter that has little, if any,
consequence on the daily operation of the product as I currently
use it.<br>
<br>
// End Rant<br>
<br>
With a grateful acknowledgment to Michael for his awesome work
on the Webserver UI, I think we should take a pass through the
configuration steps with an eye towards making this as turn-key
as possible. I understand that he's made some significant
changes to the UI since my module arrived (back on .003 code),
so the improvements in initial config have not been reflected in
what I am running now (since the config has already been set).
As I noted in my previous email, I will blow my module back to
factory defaults and start over, looking for places where we
might improve things. <br>
<br>
I know that the V3 OVMS module is a VAST improvement over the
prior versions, even without having experienced them myself.
But to reach a broader audience, we need to continually look to
improve the setup / configuration experience, especially as we
add new and even more powerful features. <br>
<br>
Greg<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Stephen Casner wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:alpine.OSX.2.21.1805221204560.80508@auge.attlocal.net">
<pre wrap="">On Tue, 22 May 2018, Greg D. wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Oh, almost... My timezone was also wrong. It was set to -7 like I do
everywhere else, instead of PST8PDT. Where did that come from? My only
clue to this was that the new boot status display of time at last boot
said GMT instead of PDT.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">Because the ESP-IDF system does not have all the compiled-in timezone
code, we need to specify how to manage daylight saving time using the
long value for the TZ parameter. So not even PST8PDT is sufficient,
you need "PST8PDT,M3.2.0/2,M11.1.0".
-- Steve
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="160">--
Michael Balzer * Helkenberger Weg 9 * D-58256 Ennepetal
Fon 02333 / 833 5735 * Handy 0176 / 206 989 26
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