Linux 5.1 Continues The Years-Long Effort Preparing For Year 2038

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 5.1 Continues The Years-Long Effort Preparing For Year 2038

Linux 5.1 continues the massive undertaking in preparing the kernel for the Year 2038 problem...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-5.1-Year-2038-Syscalls

[tildearrow]

I hope they backport the patches, since Android phones rarely have major kernel version upgrades, and most distros have been deprecating 32-bit...

[ALRBP]

I hope they backport the patches, since Android phones rarely have major kernel version upgrades, and most distros have been deprecating 32-bit...

Phones (at least recent ones) are not designed to live 19 years (until 2038) anyway… (and they are not going to have even minor version updates after a few years)

[CochainComplex]

Phones (at least recent ones) are not designed to live 19 years (until 2038) anyway… (and they are not going to have even minor version updates after a few years)

unfortunately true - even flagship phones rely on 3.x kernels with 2-3 years update support

[torsionbar28]

I hope they backport the patches, since Android phones rarely have major kernel version upgrades, and most distros have been deprecating 32-bit...

By 2038, phones will have a terabyte of RAM and a 64 core CPU with a 40 Gbit/s data speed. We'll be running Android version 57 and Linus will be deciding whether or not to bump the kernel from 15.20 to 15.21 or just go straight to 16.0. Gasoline will be $70 a gallon, The US and Europe will be renamed 'The United States of China', and all restaurants will be called Taco Bell.

[caligula]

unfortunately true - even flagship phones rely on 3.x kernels with 2-3 years update support

Android One phones have the best support: "Faster access to Android OS updates for two years, including the latest AI innovations from Google; Amongst the most secure devices in the ecosystem with regular security updates for three years and Google Play Protect built in"

So up to 2 years of major Android version upgrades, up to 3 years of minor (non-breaking) updates. Pretty good! The most expensive market leader phones don't necessarily have such a good support status. They might only offer minor upgrades for one year (starting from the phone launch, not when you buy it).

[Kayote]

so time traveling in a Unix based machine, before the year 1970 will no longer be possible, this is a really serious problem.

[jo-erlend]

Phones (at least recent ones) are not designed to live 19 years (until 2038) anyway… (and they are not going to have even minor version updates after a few years)

We don't only use the current time. Things happen in the future as well. For instance, the asteroid Apophis is going to come close to hitting us in 2036. Don't you store future events in your calendar?

[LaeMing]

We don't only use the current time. Things happen in the future as well. For instance, the asteroid Apophis is going to come close to hitting us in 2036. Don't you store future events in your calendar?

The 2038 problem isn't going to be an issue anyway, if what you humans call "Apophis" stays on the course we set it for!

[starshipeleven]

I hope they backport the patches, since Android phones rarely have major kernel version upgrades, and most distros have been deprecating 32-bit...

My sweet summer child....

As if the kernel in Android phones received any update, like at all, during the device's life. (hint: it doesn't)