Debian Adopts 64-bit Time to Prevent 2038 Bug in Upcoming Release
By
pseudolus
10mo ago· 4 min readenNews
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Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
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Summary
Debian is addressing the Y2K38 bug, also known as the Unix Epochalypse, by transitioning to 64-bit time for most supported hardware in its upcoming Debian 13 "Trixie" release. This move aims to prevent the 2038 issue where 32-bit time values could reset to 1900. The change excludes only the oldest hardware.
Key quotes
· 1 pulled"[We will] use 64-bit time_t on 32-bit architectures to avoid the 'year 2038 problem' when the existing 32-bit signed int rolls over (potentially setting time back to 1900),"
: We say everything... just not the oldest hardware. Unix Epochalypse less than 13 years away
