⏰ Debian is doing the right thing, and far ahead of time. Rather than scrambling as 2038 approaches, Debian 13 “Trixie” will switch almost all supported platforms to 64‑bit time_t, even on 32‑bit architectures, to sidestep the Unix Epochalypse. It requires a sweeping change across thousands of packages, and means some older binaries may break, but it is a smart move done years early. I remember being there for the 16-bit to 32-bit migration. 😥 ⏳
TL;DR
⚠️ Y2K38 will overflow signed 32‑bit time at 03:14:07 UTC on January 19 2038
🛠️ Debian is switching to 64‑bit time_t on most 32‑bit platforms starting with Trixie
🧠 The change affects 6,429 packages and changes the ABI
🧪 Developers must test for regressions, especially around legacy compatibility
https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/y2k38_bug_debian/
#Debian #Y2K38 #UnixEpochalypse #EmbeddedSystems #Epochalypse #ctime #unix #linux #security #privacy #cloud #infosec #cybersecurity
