Best time zone configuration – Server in Europe, users and devices in Brazil

Neri2 days ago

Time Zone Setup — Server in Europe, Devices and Users in Brazil

Hi everyone,

I have some doubts about the best time zone configuration to avoid discrepancies in reports and on screens that display date/time fields in Traccar.

Current setup:

  • Dedicated server: located in Germany (Europe), running Linux.
  • Web interface users: located in Brazil.
  • GPS devices: also located in Brazil.

My questions

  1. Linux Server:
    What is the best practice here?

    • Should I change the server timezone (tzdata) to Brazil (America/Sao_Paulo)?
    • Keep the default timezone of the datacenter (Europe/Berlin)?
    • Or set the server to UTC (global 0) and let Traccar and users handle timezone conversions?

  2. Traccar (Web):

    • Should I set the server timezone or let each user select their preferred timezone (for example America/Sao_Paulo)?
    • If a user doesn’t have a timezone set, does Traccar default to the server’s timezone?

  3. GPS Devices:

    • What GMT/UTC offset should I configure on the GPS devices? (e.g. GMT-3, UTC-3, etc.)
    • Is it better for the devices to send data in UTC or use the local timezone (Brazil)?

Environment summary

Component Location Recommended Time Zone?
Linux Server Germany ?
Traccar Web (Users) Brazil ?
GPS Devices Brazil ?

I’m trying to define the most correct and stable setup to ensure consistent date/time values across reports, devices, and the web interface.

Anton Tananaev2 days ago

Server timezone is relevant only in a sense that logs will show it.

Web timezone should obviously match the timezone you want to see.

Devices should generally send UTC timezone, but it depends on device and protocol.