Wierd time changes

[Mark Ovens]

I'm completely baffled by this one. When FreeBSD shuts down/reboots it
changes the system clock. It *always* sets the hours to 20 and changes
the minutes and seconds (but I haven't worked out a pattern for that), 
but the date stays the same (see /var/log/messages below) although I 
once saw it keep the time and date correct, but set the year back *four* 
years(!) but that was when the correct time was 22:mm:ss.

If you look at the extract from /var/log/messages below, the time 
changes on the third line but it _doesn't_ change the system clock at 
that point; if I go into the BIOS, or boot WinXP (the box dual boots), 
when it reboots then the time is still correct. However, the next time I 
boot FreeBSD (whenever that may be) all the boot messages in 
/var/log/messages have the same timestamp (the same (incorrect) one as 
when it last shutdown) until the end of the boot sequence when the 
timestamp jumps forward ~20 seconds (which reflects the time it takes to 
boot). It is during the boot that it sets the system clock.

Since I can't find anyone else reporting this (in the mailing lists or 
searching on Google) I guess it is some strange interaction with my 
BIOS. I have seen WinXP do this *once* when it crashed with a BSoD (I've 
had several BSoDs though).

The m/b is an Asus A7M266-D running dual Athlon MP2800+ CPUs with BIOS 
version 1011 beta 3. The fact that it is a beta BIOS (needed for the 
MP2800 CPUs) maybe related. Even so, FreeBSD is storing the corrupted 
time somewhere and using it to set the system clock at the next boot.

FreeBSD 5.2-RELEASE #10: Tue Jan 13 19:36:15 GMT 2004

I have since u/g to 5.2.1 and still have the same problem which occurs 
with both the GENERIC kernel and my customized kernel.

Can anyone shed any light on this at all please? Needless to say it 
causes problems, especially when it changes the clock by several years!!!

Thanks.

Regards,

Mark

----------- begin /var/log/messages -----------
Feb 11 16:17:28 redshift reboot: rebooted by root
Feb 11 16:17:28 redshift syslogd: exiting on signal 15
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift syslogd: kernel boot file is /boot/kernel/kernel
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: boot() called on cpu#1
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Waiting (max 60 seconds) for system
process `vnlru' to stop...stopped
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Waiting (max 60 seconds) for system
process `bufdaemon' to stop...stopped
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Waiting (max 60 seconds) for system
process `syncer' to stop...stopped
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel:
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: syncing disks, buffers remaining... 3 3
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: done
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Copyright (c) 1992-2004 The FreeBSD
Project.

[There was ~1 hour before the reboot into FreeBSD - first booted WinXP]

Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986,
1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: The Regents of the University of
California. All rights reserved.
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: FreeBSD 5.2-RELEASE #10: Tue Jan 13
19:36:15 GMT 2004
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: root at redshift:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/REDSHIFT

........

Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: cd2 at ahc0 bus 0 target 5 lun 0
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: cd2: <PIONEER DVD-ROM DVD-305 1.05>
Removable CD-ROM SCSI-2 device
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: cd2: 5.000MB/s transfers (5.000MHz,
offset 16)
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: cd2: Attempt to query device size
failed: NOT READY, Medium not present
Feb 11 20:19:10 redshift kernel: Mounting root from ufs:/dev/da1s1a
Feb 11 20:19:28 redshift login: ROOT LOGIN (root) ON ttyv0
---------- end /var/log/messages -------------