Subject: clock handling
To: None <port-alpha@netbsd.org>
From: Matthias Drochner <drochner@zelux6.zel.kfa-juelich.de>
List: port-alpha
Date: 09/28/1998 22:57:55
There are always "preposterous clock time" and the like
messages if one boots OSF/1 and NetBSD on the same
machine.
This is obviously caused by OSF/1 adding 52 to the
"year" number in the clock chip, so it sets the chip to
"46" today. (You'll see that the console prints "2046"
if you execute "date" after running OSF/1.)
The reasons for this are not clear for me, there must
be something historical. The /usr/sys/include/arch/alpha/clock.h
header file tells something about the "how", but not the "why".

However, for me it's a bigger value to get a correct
time after booting the other OS.
Are there reasons not to change the algorithm to
comply with OSF/1?

best regards
Matthias