Re: Bug: Status/Summary of slashdot leap-second crash on new years 2008-2009

David Newall
2009-01-04T08:43:45Z

Ben Goodger wrote:
> 2009/1/3 David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>:
>
>> Shouldn't this be a simple zoneinfo change, whereby the last two seconds
>> of the year (in each timezone) both map to 31dec2008 23:59:59? That's
>> the way the change has worked in the real world. Why would ntp or the
>> kernel be involved?
>>
>
> Actually, the change has worked in the real world with the
> introduction of a new second named 23:59:60

Fine. However you want to describe that last second is immaterial. The
point is that diddling the clock is not a true solution. Take seconds
since epoch for January 1 and subtract the seconds since epoch since the
previous day and if the result isn't 86401 it's wrong. Is Linux wrong?
(I gather it is.)