The Y2K38 bug presents the same concern. Unix (and Linux) clocks rely time in seconds, ranging from January 1, 1970, which was dubbed the Unix Epoch, and a few techniques retailer that quantity in a signed 32-bit integer which is able to overflow at (brace your self) exactly 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038. When it does so, clocks will revert to December 1901.
Epochalypse now?
The truth is, it’s already an actual mess that’s hitting techniques, reminiscent of pension fund projections, that look into the longer term past that magic second in 2038.
Mentioned mess gained’t have an effect on trendy 64-bit techniques, in fact — their dates are saved in 64-bit variables, good for greater than 292 billion years. However legacy and embedded techniques are in danger, therefore the work by Debian and different distros. All the things from plant management techniques and constructing monitoring techniques to routers and safety cameras are operating some form of embedded working system, and for a lot of, it’s 32-bit Linux. These techniques usually stay in service for many years with out alternative, making a software program repair a necessity. It’s one other instance how the failure to take {hardware} and software program longevity under consideration can come again to chew us.
The remedy: altering date storage to 64-bit variables. It was a huge activity for Debian maintainers, involving nearly 6,500 packages, and all of it needed to occur at one time as a result of it additionally concerned a change to the applying binary interface (ABI). However Debian says the work is full, or not less than, as full because it’s going to get for now. To make sure compatibility with x86 binaries, it’s leaving dates on i386 techniques as 32-bit, though it’s contemplating choices if there’s sufficient demand for 64-bit dates on these techniques.
It could appear that the overflow continues to be a far-off downside however, “As of 2025, that is much less that 13 years away, and loads of techniques that can have issues have already been shipped,” Debian mentioned in a publish concerning the concern. “We should always cease including to the issue. Most computing, particularly computing utilizing Debian or its derivatives, is now executed on 64-bit {hardware} the place this concern doesn’t come up. Nevertheless there’s various cost-sensitive 32-bit computing nonetheless on the market, and nonetheless transport in new units (automotive, IoT, TVs, routers, plant management, constructing monitoring/management, low-cost Android telephones and many others.), with a few of that {hardware} most likely operating Debian or its derivatives.”
That is notably vital as a result of many different Linux distros, together with RedHat and Fedora, have already dropped 32-bit assist, and SUSE’s assist is unofficial, leaving the Debian ecosystem to hold a big a part of the 32-bit load.
