[PING^2] RFC [PATCH] BZ#1077902: New API gettimezone

[Paul Eggert]

Carlos O'Donell wrote:
> even if you had identical files there is presently no
> programmatic API to determine your own TZ

But there is a programmatic API, namely getenv ("TZ").  If the chrooted 
files are identical, and if the TZ value (or lack of value) is 
propagated into the chrooted process, localtime should behave the same 
way inside the chrooted jail as it does outside.

That is, it's not necessary to set TZ to the same string both inside and 
outside the jail.  All that's necessary is that if TZ is set outside the 
jail, it must be set to the same value inside the jail, and vice versa.

> Do we agree that there is a flaw in the API here?

That depends on what one means by "flaw".  :-)  My impression so far has 
been that most of the problem has been due to a lack of understanding of 
how time zones work in glibc.  If my impression is correct, then perhaps 
all we need to do is improve the documentation.