how to enable the set time zone automatically using your current location radio button on system set

[Dhuhindhan]

Hi, I want to enable set time zone automatically using your current location radio button on system settings for all my org Mac on bulk. How do we get it, I want all the Mac date and time settings to be like it is on this image.

[cdev · Accepted solution]

Give this a shot:

#!/bin/bash

uuid=$("/usr/sbin/system_profiler" SPHardwareDataType | grep "Hardware UUID" | awk '{ print $3 }')
timedPrefs="/private/var/db/timed/Library/Preferences/com.apple.timed.plist"
dateTimePrefs="/private/var/db/timed/Library/Preferences/com.apple.preferences.datetime.plist"
locationPrefs="/private/var/db/locationd/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.locationd.${uuid}"
byHostPath="/var/db/locationd/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.locationd"

# Set preferences.
echo "Ensuring location services are enabled"
sudo -u "_locationd" /usr/bin/defaults -currentHost write "$locationPrefs" LocationServicesEnabled -int 1
sudo defaults write "${byHostPath}" LocationServicesEnabled -int 1
/usr/sbin/chown "_locationd:_locationd" "$locationPrefs"

echo "Configuring automatic time"
/usr/bin/defaults write "$timedPrefs" TMAutomaticTimeZoneEnabled -bool YES
/usr/bin/defaults write "$timedPrefs" TMAutomaticTimeOnlyEnabled -bool YES
/usr/bin/defaults write "$dateTimePrefs" timezoneset -bool YES
/usr/sbin/chown "_timed:_timed" "$timedPrefs" "$dateTimePrefs"

exit 0

[AJPinto]

This would require location services which you cannot force enable for a user. I don't think what you are asking is possible. However, the time zone can be set with a script. You can work something out in JAMF to set time zones with a policy.

#!/bin/sh

#--------------------------------------------------------
# Set the Mac timezone & timeservers
#--------------------------------------------------------

# Set the timezone
systemsetup -settimezone "$4"

# Set the timezone to regions internal time server
/usr/sbin/systemsetup -setnetworktimeserver 10.255.216.19

# The below command will list all available timezones
# systemsetup -listtimezones

[cdev · Accepted solution]

Give this a shot:

#!/bin/bash

uuid=$("/usr/sbin/system_profiler" SPHardwareDataType | grep "Hardware UUID" | awk '{ print $3 }')
timedPrefs="/private/var/db/timed/Library/Preferences/com.apple.timed.plist"
dateTimePrefs="/private/var/db/timed/Library/Preferences/com.apple.preferences.datetime.plist"
locationPrefs="/private/var/db/locationd/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.locationd.${uuid}"
byHostPath="/var/db/locationd/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.locationd"

# Set preferences.
echo "Ensuring location services are enabled"
sudo -u "_locationd" /usr/bin/defaults -currentHost write "$locationPrefs" LocationServicesEnabled -int 1
sudo defaults write "${byHostPath}" LocationServicesEnabled -int 1
/usr/sbin/chown "_locationd:_locationd" "$locationPrefs"

echo "Configuring automatic time"
/usr/bin/defaults write "$timedPrefs" TMAutomaticTimeZoneEnabled -bool YES
/usr/bin/defaults write "$timedPrefs" TMAutomaticTimeOnlyEnabled -bool YES
/usr/bin/defaults write "$dateTimePrefs" timezoneset -bool YES
/usr/sbin/chown "_timed:_timed" "$timedPrefs" "$dateTimePrefs"

exit 0

[Dhuhindhan]

Hi @cdev , Tried running the script on macOS Sonoma but getting this error

[Dhuhindhan]

is there something we need to change based on the OS

[cdev · Accepted solution]

I’ve had good luck with that script as is running on Sonoma Macs, including enabling location services. Sometimes it’s taken a reboot for the settings to fully apply, but most of my runs have worked within 2 minutes.

[JevermannNG]

I get the same error running the script on macOS 15.0

We are looking for a similar script that sets the Time Zone for out Virtual Machines because for some unknown reason, they dont fetch the correct zone during Enrollment.

[Leadehh]

Hi Jevermann,

We use the following:

#!/bin/zsh
#
# Daniel Angeloni 2024
#
# Sets timezone and region
#
timezone="Australia/Sydney"
region="AU"

# Set the timezone
systemsetup -settimezone "$timezone"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Timezone set to $timezone"
else
  echo "Failed to set timezone" >&2
  exit 1
fi

# Set the region
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocal en_"$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set AppleLocal" >&2
  exit 1
fi

defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale en_"$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set AppleLocale" >&2
  exit 1
fi

defaults write NSGlobalDomain OSLocale en_"$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set OSLocale" >&2
  exit 1
fi

defaults write NSGlobalDomain region "$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set region" >&2
  exit 1
fi

defaults write com.apple.dock region "$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set region" >&2
  exit 1
fi

defaults write NSGlobalDomain loc en_GB:"$region"
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Region set to $region"
else
  echo "Failed to set loc" >&2
  exit 1
fi


# Apply the changes

echo "Timezone and region settings applied successfully."
killall SystemUIServer

exit 0

Let us know how you go.

Hamish.

[Aronjlove]

This script still works on 15.2 as of the date of this post. Thanks!

[Dhuhindhan]

hi @cdev gotcha!!! the restart does the trick, Thanks!!!!!!