Here is something I sent someone who needed to show his boss a y2k statement asap. It touches on a few ideas we should mention:
Debian is based on the Linux kernel which is known to be free of any Y2K problems. Most of the software in Debian is POSIX compliant, and as such, handles dates in a standard manner that is resistant to problems with Y2K. This is in addition to the common Unix practice of storing dates as seconds since 1 Jan 1970 which is free of any problems until the year 2038. This does not mean that we are sitting on our laurels. Debian is currently formulating an official Y2K statement. As part of this process we will be investigating the Y2K status of key pieces of software that come bundled with Debian. These involve the apache web server, the X windowing system and programming languages such as perl. The results of this will be listed on the Y2K page when it becomes available. We should keep the jargon to a minimum on the main page and can link other pages for concepts that provide additional information. For example it might be worth having a page that more fully explains the part about Unix storing dates in seconds since 1970 and how such programs should be safe until 2038 (plus we should all be using 64 bit machines by then which will give us a 'few' more years of safety :). It also may be worth noting that Feb 29, 2000 IS a leap year as many people don't seem to be aware of that. Jay Treacy
