--- title: Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy... description: Linux 7.3 tightens up the code paths related to CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME, the Kconfig option that lets distributions disable legacy 32-bit time system calls... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy 32-bit Time Support | daily.dev og:description: Linux 7.3 tightens up the code paths related to CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME, the Kconfig option that lets distributions disable legacy 32-bit time system calls... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/s0frB6Irv.png og:image:alt: Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy 32-bit Time Support og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy 32-bit Time Support **[Phoronix](https://daily.dev/sources/phoronix)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Linux 7.3 tightens up the code paths related to CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME, the Kconfig option that lets distributions disable legacy 32-bit time system calls (time(), stime(), gettimeofday()) that are not Year 2038 safe. Even with the option disabled, some architecture-specific code (ARM, PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC, x86) was still leaking 32-bit time functionality; the vDSO pull request for the 7.3 merge window closes those gaps so the option is properly respected. Most distro kernels still ship with CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME=y for legacy 32-bit app compatibility, ahead of the 2038 deadline. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What does CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME do in the Linux kernel and why does it matter for Y2038? CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME is a Kconfig build option controlling legacy 32-bit time system calls, such as time(), stime(), and gettimeofday(), which use a 32-bit integer for seconds and are therefore not Year 2038 safe. Disabling it breaks compatibility with legacy 32-bit applications but removes the vulnerable code paths. Most Linux distribution kernels still ship with this option enabled for app compatibility. _Track kernel changes like Y2038 time handling on daily.dev as your distro plans its migration._ ### What did Linux 7.3 fix regarding 32-bit time code that was supposedly disabled? Linux 7.3's vDSO pull request cleaned up leftover 32-bit time code that was still being exposed in certain CPU architecture code even when CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME was disabled. Architecture-specific fixes for ARM, PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC, and x86 now properly gate this legacy code so it's fully disabled instead of leaking through when the compatibility option is turned off. _Follow kernel architecture-specific patches like this on daily.dev to stay ahead of Y2038 breakage._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Linux 7.3 Deprecates Many Older 32-bit ARM Platforms, Orphans Hundreds Of Drivers](https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-deprecates-many-older-32-bit-arm-platforms-orphans-hundreds-of-drivers-zdj3lo0he) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Linux 7.3 To Make It Easier To Disable Syscall User Dispatch](https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-to-make-it-easier-to-disable-syscall-user-dispatch-onlvu0ecc) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#linux](https://daily.dev/tags/linux) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy 32-bit Time Support","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv"},"datePublished":"2026-08-20T10:31:41.621Z","dateModified":"2026-08-21T10:41:24.670Z","description":"Linux 7.3 tightens up the code paths related to CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME, the Kconfig option that lets distributions disable legacy 32-bit time system calls...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/78ae3f0c4fe874321df0789f9aeffb9f?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/78ae3f0c4fe874321df0789f9aeffb9f?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Phoronix","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Phoronix","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/t_logo,f_auto/v1/logos/6a26ba379dd64932830aa0c9803dd7ee","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/phoronix"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"linux","timeRequired":"PT2M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Phoronix","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/phoronix"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Linux 7.3 Cleans Up The Code For Disabling Of Legacy 32-bit Time Support"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/linux-7-3-cleans-up-the-code-for-disabling-of-legacy-32-bit-time-support-s0frb6irv#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What does CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME do in the Linux kernel and why does it matter for Y2038?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME is a Kconfig build option controlling legacy 32-bit time system calls, such as time(), stime(), and gettimeofday(), which use a 32-bit integer for seconds and are therefore not Year 2038 safe. Disabling it breaks compatibility with legacy 32-bit applications but removes the vulnerable code paths. Most Linux distribution kernels still ship with this option enabled for app compatibility. Track kernel changes like Y2038 time handling on daily.dev as your distro plans its migration."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What did Linux 7.3 fix regarding 32-bit time code that was supposedly disabled?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Linux 7.3's vDSO pull request cleaned up leftover 32-bit time code that was still being exposed in certain CPU architecture code even when CONFIG_COMPAT_32BIT_TIME was disabled. Architecture-specific fixes for ARM, PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC, and x86 now properly gate this legacy code so it's fully disabled instead of leaking through when the compatibility option is turned off. Follow kernel architecture-specific patches like this on daily.dev to stay ahead of Y2038 breakage."}}]} ```