UPDATE (JUN-2021)
Linux 5.10 will include fixes for the year 2038 issue, also known as Y2K38. The flaw means that many systems cannot conceive of dates beyond 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038.
C Programming
Any program written in C/C++ could suffer from the year 2038 problem This is because most C programs use a standard time library that provides a number of functions to convert, display, and calculate time values (usually via a variable of type time_t which was a 32-bit signed integer on 32-bit systems and a 64-signed integer on 64-bit systems). However, if a programmer writing code on a 64-bit platform explicitly casts a variable of type time_t to another variable that happens to be a 32-bit signed integer, he will still have the problem. There is also a problem if you modify the definition of the time_t data type without understanding how the code interacts with other programs that have not been modified or with data that has already been stored. For example, if you replace time_t with a 32-bit unsigned integer, this would extend the range to 2106 but you will have a problem handling previously stored date/time data using dates prior to 1970, since they are represented by negative numbers.
If we fast-forward to January 19, 2038 at 3:14:07, what will actually happen? Almost all modern processors are now 64-bit systems running 64-bit software, so these systems will not suffer from the problem. Of those that are not patched, many more will be updated over the next decade. Also, many of the problems that will occur will occur well ahead of time, because if they store future dates that extend beyond 2038, they will need to be resolved as problems are discovered. . Many web servers are currently 32-bit Linux systems, but 17 years is a long time for a web server to remain static, so I suspect many of them will be upgrading as well.
Linux 5.6 is the first kernel for 32-bit systems ready to run after the year 2038
Linux fixed the year 2038 bug in the Linux 5.6 kernel
The “Y2038” or “Unix Y2K” Error or we can say that the problem that may occur in the future is still solved by Linux. The Linux 5.6 kernel is ready to fix any issues we may face in the future.
Linux kernel 5.6 to fix the year 2038 problem
Linux developer Arnd Bergmann mentioned this feature in an email to Linus Torvalds.
Year 2038 problem is also known as Millennium Unix error or Y2K38 error which can cause problems in data storage situations, such as situations where time values are stored or calculated as ’32 integer signed bits’.