Re: Y2K

From: Randall S. Winchester <rsw_at_Glue.umd.edu_at_hypermail-project.org>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 16:04:10 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.02.9810091548040.22560-100000_at_atlantis.csc.umd.edu>


On Fri, 9 Oct 1998, Byron C. Darrah wrote:

: Hmm. I don't think Y2K compliance can be guranteed for any software that
: uses system date/time related functions and either has to be compiled or
: uses shared libraries.

You must state that first the OS and hardware you are running the product on must be Y2K compliant. This is common practice, and should be obvious.

: If Y2K compliance for hypermail is desired, then there should probably be
: some statically-linked binary images available somewhere, which have been
: tested on the desired platforms.

This is not nessesary, provided you do the above. The world is not going to abandon shared libraries over Y2K. You just put the responsibility of verifying the shared libraries on their providers.

: If that is not desirable, then perhaps the installation procedures could
: include some way of checking the environment or the hypermail binary (after
: it is built) for compliance.

I do not think this is reasonable. Running tests on a Y2K compliant machine at the various "Y2K important dates" and verifying date fields will make most people happy. I do not know all the hoops to be "legaly certified" but for free/shareware software it will not happen.

: Thread index shows messages starting Mon 15 Jun 1970, ending Thu 24 Sep
: 1970. Bummer; it not only thinks 2000 is 1970, but it thinks 2001 is also.

Thanks!

: line 200 of file.c adding 1900 to now->tm_year
: CENTURY defined as 1900, and BASEYEAR defined as 1970 in hypermail.h
: functions "splitshortdate" and "convtoshortdate" in date.c manipulate
: things in terms of 2 digit years, not a good sign. The latter is designed
: to handle an explicit string with the 4 digit year and chop it to 2 digits.

Ugly two digit years, this will not do!

So b4 will either be a week late or there will be b5 real real soon.

Note: This needs to be fixed asap.

Randall Received on Fri 09 Oct 1998 10:07:35 PM GMT

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