[Bug 394] Y2038 time overflow/pre Epoch bug : java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError on systems with uninitialized clock

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http://icedtea.classpath.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=394





------- Comment #4 from jon.vanalten at redhat.com  2010-06-17 20:50 -------
I don't believe this is really a JDK bug.

The NPE is thrown during initialization after a failed check that
System.currentTimeMillis() > 0.  Until time travel is invented, this is a sane
check.  Even initialization was allowed to proceed in this case, there are many
classes that depend on sane return values from currentTimeMillis().

I found a very old but somewhat related bug[1].  Here upstream has said that
they cannot workaround the OS flaw.  I suspect they'd say the same here, and I
tend to agree.

The clock rolling around in 2038 is a known system limitation[2] that cannot be
resolved by Java.  /me hopes it will be resolved in all affected OS by then,
but will be sure to have a survival kit ready in case of the worst.

[1] http://bugs.sun.com/view_bug.do?bug_id=6433179
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem


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