On 2010.11.9 9:31 AM, Joshua Juran wrote: > Dual-booting OS 9 and OS X demonstrates OS X using local time as well. I > don't know what happens on Macs that can't boot classic Mac OS.
I can assure you OS X is using a UTC clock. What you're likely seeing is OS 9 setting the system clock to localtime and OS X interpreting that as UTC. What behavior are you seeing? I used to see problems dual booting between Windows XP and Linux until they somehow figured out how to live together. It's unlikely Apple put in the effort to make OS 9 and OS X dual boot well. Why are you dual booting OS 9 anyway? You're right that OS 9 uses local time, even their *epoch* (1904) is in local time. I found an interesting snippet about it on http://calendars.wikia.com/wiki/Epoch_%28reference_date%29 (did YOU know there's a wiki about calendaring?) January 1, 1904, was chosen as the base for the Macintosh clock because it was the first leap year of the twentieth century. [...] This means that by starting with 1904, Macintosh system programmers could save a half dozen instructions in their leap-year checking code, which they thought was way cool. Which also explains why you'd design a system with a local system clock. You don't have to do expensive time zone calculations just to show the time. Think 80s processing power. That it held on for so long in OS 9 and XP is just horrible. What does Windows 7 do? -- I'm pale as Formica, social skills stunted small. But I'm accurate like a pica, I know the capital of Nepal. I'm the nemesis of error, dreadful diction fears my skills, more inquisitive than Jim Lehrer, snottier than Beverly Hills. -- I.L.O.P. Secret Rap http://goats.com/archive/020830.html
