Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!sun-barr!newstop!exodus!exodus-bb!khb From: khb@chiba.Eng.Sun.COM (Keith Bierman - SPD Advanced Languages) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: 64 bits Message-ID: Date: 10 Aug 90 21:38:14 GMT References: <5539@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <13285@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <30728@super.ORG> <13667@cbmvax.commodore.com> <40644@mips.mips.COM> <1990Aug8.042631.7093@nlm.nih.gov> <1990Aug8.215735.4197@zoo.toronto.edu> <46173@ism780c.isc.com> <2418@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>, sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney) writes: ... >Regarding 64 bit ints, and such -- another thing that will soon need >to be 64 bits on UNIX systems, is the value time_t returns. This is >the number of seconds since the UNIX epoch (Jan 1, 1970), and with 32 >bit signed ints, it runs out on Monday January 18 at 22:14:07 in the >year 2038. You think anything which is currently running UNIX is going to still be chugging 48 years from now? You think we'll be stuck with UNIX for 48 years? ;-) Astro types have dealt with this over the years. It is merely necessary to pick a new epoch. At JPL, for example, the epoch was measured from 1950 until a few years back. (* yes there is special sw to handle the cross over *) There are good reasons for 64-bit machines; but preservation of the traditional unix epoch is hardly one of them! -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Keith H. Bierman kbierman@Eng.Sun.COM | khb@chiba.Eng.Sun.COM SMI 2550 Garcia 12-33 | (415 336 2648) Mountain View, CA 94043