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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.

3 of 903 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by Bragador · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    And who are you to say that humans are not carbon-based computers?

  2. Re:A rare topic by Darkness404 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    1) the manufacturer has stopped supporting it

    That may be true for proprietary products, but for free software most of the older releases will still be supported. Think of the Linux kernel, while almost everyone uses the 2.6 branch, they still support the 2.4 branch. Also, for example Firefox in the 2.X branch started using up more memory so some minimal Linux distros still stuck with the 1.5.X branch. There sometimes is a need for older software even if it is proprietary too, for example Windows 95. Most computers made for Windows 95 wouldn't run as well even with an ultra-minimalistic Linux distros at the same level as Windows 95 (it might work as a firewall or similar but as for running say Firefox, there is no way it would happen), and if you have say 50 desktops (still running well) with Windows 95, you might still want to keep them as 50 computers running XP could cost 15,000 (figuring at $300 per computer). So yes, there is a need many times to keep old software/hardware around. For example, the Windows 95 solution, even if say 50% of the computers break, it might be cheaper to buy some $25 Windows 95 era computers on Ebay rather then upgrade to say an XP-level computer.
    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Re:Pioneer and Voyager Comps Receive Uplink Update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    "Guns don't kill people; people owning guns kill people."

    Which is why we should hand them all over to the government, the agents of which are saintly beings filled with the light of wisdom and free of the evil and corruption that plague us lesser beings.

    I for one welcome our authoritarian overlords and will gladly give them rim jobs because that is the best way to avoid being murdered by them.