In the days of old, the computers RISC OS was supplied on by Acorn included a battery backed real time clock, which – while the battery lasted – kept ticking on and maintaining the time. These days, RISC OS runs on a number of single-board computers (SBCs) and not all of them have such a clock.
One solution is NetTime, which can check the time from a remote server and thus correct the computer if it has the wrong value, but it can only work via an internet connection, so if you’re working without one, your time will forever (well, you know what I mean) be wrong unless you spot and correct it yourself.
In order to help with this problem, a new set of programs has been released by R-Comp. Called ClockSave, the software implements some checks and balances to try to ensure the computer always has a time that is sensible. That isn’t to say it can ensure the time is always correct – that would be a tall order where there is no internet connection (but if there is, it will try to call upon NetTime to do its magic).
The software includes a component that saves the current system time at shutdown, and restores it when the system boots – which means your starting point is always at least when you last used the computer, rather than before you last used it! Another component can be tasked with periodically recording the time while the computer is in used – which means that in the event of a crash, or the need to force the computer to reboot without a normal shutdown, a time is similarly recorded.
The software will be provided for free to users of R-Comp’s computers on which its use would be applicable, and also available as part of the PiTools suite for Raspberry Pi users. For users of any other RISC OS computers – or Pi users who don’t want or need to by the PiTools suite – it can be purchased on !Store for the electronic version of a crisp fiver.
