Unix and 2038

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Mon Dec 11 22:14:07 2000

>McFadden, Mike wrote:

> I know that I will have computers in 2038 that I have now.

Jerome Fine replies:

If I am still around in 2038, I am also hoping to still run software
that was first produced about 30 years ago. But I don't expect
that I will be able to use the same hardware - but who knows -
might a power supply last that long? I have a number of PDP-11
systems in a BA23 box which is about the same size as the full
tower PC that I am using right now that I bought 3 years ago with
W95. Fortunately, there are a number of emulators for PDP-11
software that run just as well under DOS/W95/W98 as on a real
PDP-11. In fact, the PC is a Pentium 166 MMX and runs PDP-11
code about twice as fast as a real PDP-11/93. When I eventually
switch to a current Pentium III 800, I expect the ratio to be about
ten times as fast.

The only question is if I will be able to run the emulator in 2038
or an updated version of it.

By the way, although I will not make any revenue from a hobby
version of Y2K patches for the old V5.03 of RT-11, I am in
the middle of doing so, along with a Y10K set as well just for
the extra fun. But, I do agree that there are many problems with
commercial software, especially older versions that have bugs
that were never fixed. Generally, the companies force the user
to buy the newer versions under the guise that new features have
been included when all the user wants is to have to old bugs fixed.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Mon Dec 11 2000 - 22:14:07 GMT