Roger Brooks writes:
> > Because the API requires the ability of time_t's to go negative,
> 
> Unfortunately, not all utility programs have been updated to cope with
> this.

Huh?

This has been the case forever.

> So if you ever set the clock before 1 Jan 1970 and create or modify
> any files, they won't EVER get dumped unless you touch them to a
> non-negative time.

This is an entirely different issue.

Allow me to explain.

There are calls that involve the use of negative time -- for instance, 
the adjtime call as an obvious example. These do not involve time
before the Epoch -- they involve negative adjustments to clocks and
the like. Because of this, time_t's must be able to take negative
values.

There is also the question of setting the clock before the Epoch. This 
is explicitly impermissable, and it is okay for the system to react
badly to it. On the i386 and other ports, there is code that prevents
this in most instances.

Perry