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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.

4 of 903 comments (clear)

  1. Ada Bryon's Code by ForexCoder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ada Bryon's Notes on the analytical engine contains the oldest running code today. It can be run here.

    Of course Charles Babbage holds the claim for longest vaporware project at 153 years. And also apparently the longest unfixed bug.

  2. Re:A rare topic by Ritchie70 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Perhaps it's because they're stupid.

    At my job they're replacing a bunch of Tandem code that runs some of our core IT infrastructure with Wintel servers. It makes me ill to even be near the work, because they're taking something that just quietly works and "upgrading" it to something that doesn't.

    For those who don't know, Tandem is a high-availability platform designed to never go down. They had the power off to the building earlier in the year and the Tandem folks weren't sure they knew how to power the system on properly - that's how long it had been running.

    --
    The preferred solution is to not have a problem.
  3. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's amazing to me that NASA has the foresight to design such a remote update system years before the concept of a "firmware update" was ever applied to consumer technology. The innovations that have come out of NASA's labs is vastly underappreciated -- one wonders where our technology would be today if we invested more in the space program and less in killing one another (that is _not_ a condemnation of any particular country, pointing fingers doesn't solve problems...if anyone is offended by that remark I apologize).

  4. Re:A rare topic by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Back in 1994 I did some contract work for a banking site that was still using some code that another firm I had worked for wrote in 1969, though it wasn't entirely unmodified. The source had somehow disappeared into the great filesystem in the sky, and it was my job to patch the binary directly.

    Sadly, that sort of procedure has pretty much gone out of fashion, along with the Real Programmer. (Sigh) That's why I am no longer in IT...