Hi all,
This message starts really 'lighthearted', but becomes really SERIOUS
after that. Read on!
The lighthearted part:
-----------------------------
There is a thing about the calendar system we use these days, that is
called the leap year (for Dutch readers: schrikkeljaar). I
investigated once, how the day of the week could be determined for a
random date, and for this, researched on how the calendar system
works.
Most of you will know, that every 4-th year, and this is, every year
that's a multiple of 4, like 2000, is a leap year, where february
gets an extra day, 29 instead of 28 in other years.
But less of you will know, that for every year that's a multiple of
100 (1800, 1900, 2000, 2100), the leap year becomes a normal year
again. So in 1900, february had 28 days, not 29.
For every year that's a multiple of 400, this becomes a leap year
again (1600, 2000, 2400).
A ridiculous system ofcourse, but invented a long time ago, to keep
the calendar in sync with the movement of the planets & the sun. For
those of you that want to do some calculations: it begins at friday
october 15, 1582. Before that, there were a couple of days not
counted on our calender, and before that, there was some other
calendar system (who cares).
Interesting ofcourse, but what's it got to do with the MSX? The MSX2
and up clockchip, Ricoh RP5C01 or compatible, if I remember it right,
has a leap year counter. This is incremented at the same time the
year is increased, but only counts 0,1,2,3,0,1,2 and so on. If it's
0, that would be a leap year, adding the 29th day to february.
As the system software evaluates this, I'm sure it will take these
multiples of 4 into account, but I doubt it will also take these
multiples of 100, or even 400. So, february of 1996 will probably be
given 29 days, as it should, but I doubt 2000 would be seen as a
100-fold, or even a 400-fold.
Fortunately, 2000 is not only a 100-fold, but a 400-fold as well,
making it a leap year again (in contrast with 1900, 2100, 2200 and so
on)! Pfeww, talk about luck....you can all forget this again, just
thought it worth mentioning.
As for the significance of a year2k-bug on MSX: I doubt anything much
will happen as a result of a MSX year2k-bug, simply because MSX's are
probably used in very few, or non, 'critical' applications. There's
surely not an airport anywhere that relies on MSX-computers for the
air traffic control, or factories or other businesses running their
operations on MSX systems. As mentioned before, even 'serious'
year2k-sensitive database applications are hard to find on MSX. And
for me personally, when I switch a MSX on, and I would read a date of
1900 somewhere, that would just kind of look nice, and for some MSX
software, sounds about right as well ;-)
The're only a little hastle if wrong file dates are written to disk,
and you might just ignore that.
The SERIOUS part:
---------------------------
But on the other hand, I think it's VERY important to KNOW about the
most important issues related to any MSX year2k-bug, simply because
of what COULD happen. As I said, there's PROBABLY few MSX-computers
used in critical applications, but what if there are? Maybe there's
some application of MSX-COMPATIBLE (it needn't even look like MSX,
but use the same technology) equipment somewhere, that we just don't
know about.
Think of something like a MSX computer up in the Russian MIR space
station once (I don't know if it was a true story, but it sure looked
nice, and why not?). And a large part of year2k-related problems lies
in embedded systems, built into equipment ranging from washing
machines and microwave ovens, to nucleair plants. I could well
imagine, that for some of such applications, systems might have been
designed not looking like it, but based on MSX technology, like a
combination of a Z180 with some custom IC, controlling a copier
machine, using MSX system software. Why not?.
Most of such applications won't pose any big threats, or even
show/have a year2k-bug, the big problem here is more, that you don't
KNOW about it. What IF there would be such a part, used in some
critical application, and it has this year2k, or a similar bug.
This might be a real serious problem indeed, where the use of
year2k-sensitive database applications, or screwed up file dates, is
peanuts in comparison. I wouldn't like to see a chemical plant
release some amount of toxic stuff near my home, as a result of such
a system screwing up.
I'll sum it up now:
a) There MIGHT be some really important applications somewhere,
relying on MSX-related technology (in the widest sense)
b) There are many people involved in the general year2k problem, and
it might influence a lot of people in really bad ways
c) On this mailing-list, and elsewhere, there's a lot of people with
detailed knowledge on MSX-related issues, in a wide field of
interests.
My proposal:
-----------------
Let us set up some kind of 'MSX Year2K Center'. Anybody needing
information from some related field, like professionals involved in
solving year2k-issues, might be given a valuable source of
information with that. For anyone simply interested in it, such a
'MSX Year2K Center' could provide direct answers. This mailing-list
might be a good medium for sharing information related to it. If any
new problems come up, such a 'MSX Year2K Center' could be the central
place to address it, and for any solutions found, or facts
determined, it would be the central place to find such facts or
solutions.
You might not see the possible importance of this, but if anyone
should provide some central place for MSX-related year2K issues,
shouldn't it be a couple of MSX-freaks like us, running that store?
And why would you take part in it? To finally put some of that
knowledge to some really important use, or...for the fun of it.
Alwin Henseler ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://huizen.dds.nl/~alwinh/msx (MSX Tech Doc page)
http://www.twente.nl/~cce/index.htm (computerclub Enschede)
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