Linux 5.6 Is The First Kernel For 32-Bit Systems Ready To Run Past Year 2038

[ipkpjersi]

I'm kind of confused by this - does this only apply to 32-bit kernels running on 32-bit distros? For example, if I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 64-bit with kernel Linux 4.15.0-74-generic x86_64 then this improvement would not affect me, correct? I'm confused since it seems that distros are dropping 32-bit support all over the place, so I'm wondering if this fix also applies to 64-bit kernels/distros or not?

[rgloor]

Distros are dropping 32bit support left and right today, who's gonna be running 32bit Linux 18 years from now?

Go around and check, what well over 18 year old software is running all around us.

We just bought a 25 year old press brake, which is much bigger/stronger than those 2 old once replaced.
Not state of the art, but still doing a great job. It is still equipped with a 3.5" FDD. (Which will soon be replaced with a USB-FDD-Emulator-Drive, for compatibility / data exchange with the other press brakes in use.)

But there are hundreds of thousands of small devices (like IoT's but earlier generations), which just work and do their job totally unrecognized. Many of such small devices are running some very tinny (often still 32bit) linux kernels. And hardly anybody will (or is even capable of) update those.
And if they don't quit working, they might still run in some decades to come.

With all that technology around us, we should be prepared for some hick-ups on January 19, 2038.

Just my two cents.

[NotMine999]

Distros are dropping 32bit support left and right today, who's gonna be running 32bit Linux 18 years from now?

Maybe the Computer History Museum?

https://computerhistory.org/

They have many old machines both on display and even operational. Want to see an old IBM mainframe computer actually operate? Go there on the right day.

[slacka]

FreeDOS keeps industry running. Given that I’m not sure why anybody would back port this fix. By the time 2038 rolls around kernel 13.13.13 will be the thing.

Exactly This thread is full of narrow minded users that can't think outside the narrow scope of their consumer laptop/desktops world. In my years working in the manufacturing industry, I've seen dozens of industrial control systems running DOS/FreeDOS that were made 20+ years ago. To this day Intel still ships 32-bit Quark CPUs that are commonly used in embedded products.

[rene]

people like rene that have an extensive collection of old hardware and some Debian users.

Yeah, thanks for mentioning me ;-) mostly collecting non-x86 Sgi / Sun stuff, which ironically two decades ago already was 64-bit. 32-bit x86 would be mostly the Sony Vaio P https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suCj...X1POemgLfhirwg or Oqo 01+, the later obviously for its Transmeta Code Morphing CPU, ... ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s22Rk1xW9ME

[starshipeleven]

To quote Ballmer:
Embedded, embedded, embedded!

How much embedded is using remotely new kernel and upgrades it?

[starshipeleven]

For all of you saying "this is done for smart phones" or "think about embedded applications", no, that's not a realistic use-case. Most of those devices never went past the 3.4 kernel, and I'm sure a huge number of them are on 2.6.

Also, I would really like to know how many smartphones will still be usable to do anything at all in 18 years.

That's hardware designed to last 3-4 years tops.

[schmidtbag]

For all of you saying "this is done for smart phones" or "think about embedded applications", no, that's not a realistic use-case. Most of those devices never went past the 3.4 kernel, and I'm sure a huge number of them are on 2.6.

The reason people are holding onto those ancient devices is because they don't have the resources (like time or money) to replace them, let alone upgrade them. Unfortunately, a lot of people and organizations depend on them.

[Slartifartblast]

There will exist professional historians running 32-bit Linux applications in year 7235.

In the year 2525
If Linux is still alive
If BSD can survive
They may find

[starshipeleven]

You know, 18 years ago people said the same thing about DOS and yet last month FreeDOS dropped another release candidate for the next version.

Most legacy stuff is still running its own original DOS, FreeDOS is not related to that.