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What Is the Oldest Code Written Still Running?

Posted by kdawson on from the when-dinosaurs-ruled-the-datacenter dept.

Consul writes "What is the oldest piece of code that is still in use today, that has not actually been retyped or reimplemented in some way? By 'piece of code,' I'm of course referring to a complete algorithm, and not just a single line." The question would have a different answer if emulation, in multiple layers, is allowed.

32 of 903 comments (clear)

  1. The OS powering John McCain's artificial heart... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...which was implanted in his chest shortly before his escape from the Viet Cong. 1,700 lines of COBOL, and still going strong!

    Sadly, it has a Y2K bug. This explains why the John McCain of 2008 is not the same as the one from eight years ago.

  2. The oldest code in existence: by LGagnon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Genetic code.

    1. Re:The oldest code in existence: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      It doesn't matter what upgrades you have, the answer is still the same: 42

    2. Re:The oldest code in existence: by Keeper+Of+Keys · · Score: 5, Funny

      How about a 40 thousand year old year old shrubbery... Ni!
    3. Re:The oldest code in existence: by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Funny

      Also, the oldest profession is to maintain that code...

    4. Re:The oldest code in existence: by starglider29a · · Score: 2, Funny

      I would say it's:

      LET THERE = LIGHT

      Early manuscripts translated the assignment operator to the word "be". I think the declaration for void earth() was in #include <god.h>

      ---
      ...and God saw that IT was good.

  3. oldest code in existence by the+brown+guy · · Score: 2, Funny

    10 testing
    20 goto 10

    --
    Orbis terrarum est non altus satis
    1. Re:oldest code in existence by kclittle · · Score: 4, Funny

      And, not only is it still in existence, it is still running!
      -k

      --
      Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
    2. Re:oldest code in existence by spike1 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Syntax error in line 10

  4. hello by no-body · · Score: 2, Funny

    world

  5. 10 Dixitque Deus "Fiat lux" by LetsGoVandy · · Score: 4, Funny

    20 Dixit quoque Deus "Fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum"

    1. Re:10 Dixitque Deus "Fiat lux" by Sique · · Score: 2, Funny

      I guess he started out with some test programs:

      http://171344.spreadshirt.net/de/DE/Shop/Article/Index/article/Latein-3659377

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
  6. Oblig xkcd. by popmaker · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/224/

  7. Re:creators' planet/population rescue kode.... by urcreepyneighbor · · Score: 2, Funny

    What the HELL are you going on about? Ssh. He's not properly medicated. :)
    --
    "The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
  8. Re:I'm not sure by gadzook33 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, I may mistaken but I think the LSM is owned by the British government ;)

  9. BSD had a 25-year code still running... by Keyper7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...but some insensitive clod recently deleted it.

  10. Oldest possible... by the_duke_of_hazzard · · Score: 5, Funny

    1 "Let there be light"
    2 create universe()
    3 while (1)
    4 # I'll finish this up later

    1. Re:Oldest possible... by Fumus · · Score: 2, Funny

      > 4 # DRUNK. FIX LATER.

      There. Fixed that for you.

    2. Re:Oldest possible... by while1noop · · Score: 2, Funny

      5 profit()

  11. Re:Really? by Thiez · · Score: 3, Funny

    I guess they could be, depending on how far you're willing to stretch the definition of computer. It seems quite obvious this the definition used in the question, though. But assuming we somehow agree that DNA is code, you'd still need a religion to refer to it as 'written' instead of 'generated'.

  12. Re:Easy by metalcoat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Internet Explorer?

  13. Re:The OS powering John McCain's artificial heart. by osu-neko · · Score: 3, Funny

    I thought he got the artificial heart after he was shot through the heart by Aaron Burr (who was, as Vice Presidents go, a much better marksman than Dick Cheney).

    --
    "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  14. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Firmware" updates have been occasionally uploaded to the Pioneer and Voyager

    They had to, because Voyager kept calling itself "Vger".

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  15. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by hobbit · · Score: 3, Funny

    As I see it, it's far easier for a space program to plug along without any real measure of success and failure. If you've discovered a way of getting billions of dollars of funding without having any clear objectives, please contact me privately at yeahrightwhatever@gmail.com.
    --
    "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something" - Plato
  16. Re:Easy by palegray.net · · Score: 4, Funny

    If we're counting earth-bound code, I was going to vote for "DNA."

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
  17. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you've discovered a way of getting billions of dollars of funding without having any clear objectives, please contact me privately at yeahrightwhatever@gmail.com.
    *cough* missile defense *cough*
  18. Re:A rare topic by somersault · · Score: 3, Funny

    Only on /. could a piece of code to delete a file be modded 'funny' o_0 is there actually a joke in there?

    --
    which is totally what she said
  19. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by GuldKalle · · Score: 2, Funny

    Please don't. I for one am fed up of our modern PC climate where everyone is afraid to exercise their right of free speech in case someone isn't mature enough to deal with different views. Are you saying he should apologize for that remark? :)
    --
    What?
  20. Re:Really? by McGiraf · · Score: 2, Funny

    "what, does religion offend you?"

    Yes. As much as pumpkin heads bunnies with the tooth fairy as a sidekick laying chocolate eggs for christmas.

  21. Re:Easy by SnowZero · · Score: 5, Funny

    DNA is in a more or less constant state of "editing". But yeah, there are trees that are almost 5000 years old which presumably haven't evolved in that time.

    Ah, so it's like Emacs?
  22. Who wrote this crap? by RoadWarriorX · · Score: 2, Funny

    The other day, I was investigating some strange behavior in our production environment. I scanned through some piece of code written way back in 2001. After poking around for a couple hours, I find the offending code. The code was somewhat buggy and I found it right away, but fixing it proved to be challenging. After a hour or so, my frustrations got to me. It was so bad that I started to say "who wrote this crap?", only to realize that I wrote it 7 years ago. Alas, I had stumbled upon the oldest running code in my measly existence.

    --

    Coderz 4 Life
  23. a/b swap by sf_basilix · · Score: 2, Funny

    how about:

    $c=$a
    $a=$b
    $b=$c