The reported incident was perhaps known to both the creators of UNIX from which LINUX decended later. The problem can be easily solved through 64-bit or higher OS versions. There is unfounded fear that how can all application softwares with millions of line of 'C' code be changed. All utilities and application programs use either proprietary or free C, C++ libraries that are shipped with all the variants of UNIX Operating Systems. So the underlying support for all the new utilities comes through new pathces of all UNIX O.S. Moreover, vendors involved in application development in C,C++ on UNIX/LINUX can always fix the problem in the regular patches they release. Year 2038 is still 32 years away. Till that time we can expect quantum jump in Hardware and O.S developments. So be cool and enjoy computing with Linux and UNIX.
