# How did Linux do with Y2K?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 1, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405 "2000-01-01T15:41:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405/1 "2000-01-01T15:41:00Z")

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Just curious. After all, stupid as it sounds, but just about all of Microsofts operating systems need updating. How did Linux do?

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**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405/2 "2000-01-01T15:51:00Z")

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Linux seems to have had no real OS problems, so far…however certain Linux applications were as poorly coded as some Windows based ones, therefore many of the same potential problems with short dates exist.

The up-side of this is that, while Linux is by no means a new OS, the “popular” version, _RedHat_ gained much of its popularity after the Y2K bug had become infamous…therefore, most new RedHat apps were coded correctly to avoid the problems.

-David

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**Author:** ![EnigmaOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EnigmaOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnigmaOne)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405/3 "2000-01-01T19:14:00Z")

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Two comments:

Y2K was a non-event, outside of the usual inebriation on the part of revelers who love to make photocopies of their posteriors.

Anything that deprives Micro$oft of revenues and raises the awareness that there are alternate choices in OS and Application software is a good thing for us all.

On a personal note:  
My idiot ex-wife is stuck with a garden shed full of survival food, and she has to live down all of her fruit-ball predictions of apocolypse.  
Indeed, stupidity is it’s own punishment.

* * *

– **Kalél**  
_Common ¢ for all ages…_  
“Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling much better now!” – John Astin, Night Court

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-linux-do-with-y2k/12405/4 "2000-01-02T01:34:00Z")

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Yeah, our store has a sign that you can’t return it all either.