2016

[Steve Litt]

The operant word is 22 years. 22 years ago I was on a 486-66, using the
16 bit Windows 3.1 OS. I had just switched from floppy backups to QIC
tape backups. I used WordPerfect 5.1 and Micrografx Windows Draw, along
with Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, Microsoft Assembler, Clarion 2.1 for
quickie programming, and Robohelp to make help files.

Believe it or not, I still have WordPerfect 5.1 and Micrografx Windows
Draw running on my 1998 Pentium III 300mhz running win98, but even if I
didn't, it wouldn't be that big a deal. I can't read the QIC tapes. Big
deal. My point is, wait long enough and today's necessities become no
big deal.

I'm pretty sure that even today's libraries, if compiled on a 64 bit
system, will work just fine with regard to the 2038 thing. Embedded
will be a problem, but I'm assuming that embedded for expensive stuff
like cars will be 64 bit. Maybe your 12 year old sewing machine will
fail, but that's about it.

Meanwhile, I'd give Unix/Linux/BSD only a 50% chance of surviving the
next 22 years. It will have to outcompete a lot of newer stuff. And if
there's no Unix, the point is moot.

SteveT


On Fri, 1 Jan 2016 20:34:36 -0700
Brian Cluff <brian at snaptek.com> wrote:

> There's quite a few computers that are in daily use that are stuck
> with old systems that can't be upgraded, and there are a ton of
> embeded systems all over the place that don't get upgraded...  It
> probably won't be a huge deal, but I'm sure something weird will
> happen in 22 years. It could be even code running on modern systems
> but using old libraries that use a 32bit date format.
> 
> Brian
> 
> On 01/01/2016 07:45 PM, Steve Litt wrote:
> > On Fri, 1 Jan 2016 18:32:16 -0700
> > Brian Cluff <brian at snaptek.com> wrote:
> >  
> >> We are now almost half way, starting from y2k, to the 2038 problem
> >> where we could see some real Y2K like problems when the older UNIX
> >> machines run out of time its and make everything become 1901.
> >>
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem
> >>
> >> Brian Cluff  
> >
> > Will anyone still be using 32 bit Unix/Linux/BSD by 2038? If I'm not
> > mistaken, on a 64 bit machine we have enough seconds to last us long
> > beyond the probable extinction of the human species.
> >
> > SteveT
> >
> > Steve Litt
> > November 2015 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques
> >       of the Successful Technologist
> > http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques
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-- 
SteveT

Steve Litt 
November 2015 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques
     of the Successful Technologist
http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques