• ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
    1·
    10 days ago

    You hear the one about the COBOL programer? In 1999 many people were worried about a bug with dates that could crash their systems. Unfortunately, a lot of really important systems were still using the outdated COBOL programing language. A search was done to find someone who could fix these systems. The last programmer who knew COBOL was found and they made a lot of money fixing up these systems. So much money that, once they received a cancer diagnosis, they cyrogenically froze themselves hoping that a cure for their disease would be found in the future. The programmer is awoken one day in a lab filled with high tech robotics. A person who is seemingly half machine themseves stands before them. The programmer asks “Have you found a cure for my disease?”. The person replies “We have cured all diseases. You are the COBOL programmer, correct?” “That’s right” “Great! It is the year 9999 and we have a problem we need your help with.”

    • MartianSands@sh.itjust.works
      0·
      10 days ago

      That’s easy. The 2038 problem is fixed by using 64-bit processors running 64-bit applications. Just about everything built in the last 15 years has already got the fix

      Using that fix, the problem doesn’t come up again for about 300 billion years

      • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        1·
        10 days ago

        You don’t need 64 bit programs or CPUs to fix the 2038 problem. You just need to use a 64 bit time_t. It will work fine on 32 bit CPUs or even 8 bit microcontrollers.