[RESOLVED] 'Timezone' error from out of nowhere?

Francoise

This afternoon I made a minor change to my footer.html file. I think all I did was to comment out an item in the links-menu.

Suddenly I had an error message on every page of my site! It was as though something had gotten loose inside and gone nuts.

Here is the error message -- What would cause this to start so suddenly? how can I correct it?

One of the several bizarre things about this is that my footner.html file does not have any include() function. It does not use the word include in any way.

An error occurred in script '/home/hostedaccount/public_html/website.com/includes/footer.html' on line 37:
include() [function.include]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. Please use the date.timezone setting, the TZ environment variable or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Chicago' for 'CDT/-5.0/DST' instead
Date/Time: 10-26-2010 19:04:54

NogDog

Probably an upgrade to the PHP version (this notice did not start showing up until one of the 5.x versions). Or, it's always been there, but there has been a change to your PHP configuration, turning on display_errors or changing the error_reporting level. Or the PHP config file changed and is no longer setting the date.timezone setting to a valid value. When none of those timezone values mentioned in the message are set, then you get that error if you try to use a date/time function that requires the current time zone setting. You can use date_default_timezone_set() to set it within the script, if you want.

Francoise

Thank you, NogDog. I really appreciate your help.

One of the VERY strange things about this error notice is that my footer.html file definitely does not have an "include" file or function in it - yet the error notice is directed at precisely that. Can you make any sense of that?

I've tried adding the date_default_timezone_set() function to the footer file. It hasn't made any difference, though. I'm still getting the error.

ETA: Hmmmm. Am I supposed to add a parameter to the date_default_timezone_set() function??

Francoise

Okay, I have added the timezone identifier in the function parentheses. (I really do try to be proactive.) It hasn't made any difference though.

This is the kind of thing that sends me into despair. This morning I had an operating website. Very limited, but it was presentable and, to the extent it existed, it worked.

Tonight, though, that is all behind me. I no longer have an operating site. All I have are a set of pages that have a huge, long, red error notice splashed down every single one.

I've done all the logical things -- I made the change indicated by the error notice. I looked for an "include" file or directory, since that is what the error notice is focused on -- but there isn't one.

Again, this morning I didn't have much, but I had something. Tonight, I've got nothing except a set of ruined pages that I don't have a clue how to fix. 🙁 🙁 🙁

Francoise

Cogitating further on NogDog's reply, I researched the whole "timezone error" issue. It's been around for a while, and has caused enough weeping and gnashing of teeth to be labeled "infamous" in some quarters.

The usual fix is apparently to make the indicated timezone change in one's php.ini. Since I'm using an external webhost, I don't think I have that option myself, right?

I've written to my Webhost's support people to ask if they made any changes in PHP today. All I can do, it seems, is hope that they did and that they have heard from other people as well.

Francoise

My host insists that no changes were made to their PHP or timezone configuration today. :rolleyes:

Nevertheless, when I asked them to make the appropriate changes in php.ini, the problem was instantly solved. Coincidence?

Too bad about all those hours I spent this afternoon and evening in trying to find a solution. 🙁

To end on a more positive note:

(1) Quite a few people have suffered from the "timezone" error, and you can find their pleas for help across the Web. The solution almost always turns out to be a change in the date/timezone setting of php.ini.

(2) My thanks again to NogDog for his help. His suggestions as to the error's cause reassured me that I had not in fact entered the Twilight Zone. They also enabled me to research the question and thereby find a solution.