[LEAPSECS] internet drafts about zoneinfo

[Rob Seaman]

So, if the ITU voted in a time scale with 86413 SI-seconds per day or a two-ticks-forward-one-tock-back timekeeping scheme or a Doctor-Who-on-psychodelics or a T. H. White Merlin-living-backwards (Benjamin Button for those attuned more to Hollywood) time scale - well, then POSIX would just merrily have to adapt and learn to like it?  When the ITU says, "Jump!"  Posix says, "How high?"

POSIX therefore doesn't seem to place any actual requirements on the whole timekeeping shtick does it?

Universal Time has an existence outside either POSIX or the ITU.  International standards bodies don't actually have the ability to redefine time and space.  Any plan to redefine UTC must address the physical consequences - e.g., just call such a new timescale that is something very different than Universal Time something other than "UTC".

Rob
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On Mar 4, 2011, at 8:58 AM, Tony Finch wrote:


> On Fri, 4 Mar 2011, Rob Seaman wrote:

>> 

>> If POSIX requires Universal Time, and if POSIX has any actual pertinence

>> to the UTC shenanigans (rather than just being a convenient talking

>> point) - well, then - UTC must remain UT.

> 

> That's backwards. POSIX is UT because UT is the basis of civil time. If

> the basis of civil time changes, POSIX follows. Hence POSIX is currently

> specified in terms of UTC even though it can't handle leap seconds

> correctly.

> 

> Tony.