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The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

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  The Leap Second is Dead.  How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-16 15:45 +0000
    Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-16 16:56 +0100
      Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-16 17:08 +0000
    Re: The Leap Second is Dead.  How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Cóilín Nioclásín Glostéir <thanks-to@Taf.com> - 2026-10-16 19:13 +0000
    Re: The Leap Second is Dead.  How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-10-17 13:29 +0000
      Re: The Leap Second is Dead.  How Will GNU/Linux Cope? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2026-10-17 13:51 +0000
      Re: The Leap Second is Dead.  How Will GNU/Linux Cope? Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-17 14:19 +0000
        Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-17 19:37 +0200
          Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 11:25 +0100
          Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2026-10-18 11:57 +0000
            Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-18 14:20 +0200
              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 13:25 +0100
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-18 14:31 +0200
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 14:23 +0100
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2026-10-18 13:35 +0000
                    Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-18 18:45 +0000
                      Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-10-18 21:41 +0000
                        Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-19 00:57 +0000
                          Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-19 09:26 +0100
                        Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-10-19 02:11 +0000
                          Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-10-19 02:38 +0000
                            Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-10-19 03:52 +0000
                              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-10-19 03:56 +0000
                                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-10-19 05:58 +0000
                          Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-19 03:03 +0000
                        Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-19 02:49 +0000
                    Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 20:15 +0100
                    Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-10-19 00:44 -0400
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-18 14:38 +0200
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 14:26 +0100
                    Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-18 18:59 +0000
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-18 18:55 +0000
              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-10-18 19:05 +0000
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 20:41 +0100
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2026-10-19 00:15 +0000
                    Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-10-19 02:02 +0000
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-19 02:42 +0000
            Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 13:21 +0100
              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-18 19:04 +0000
            Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-18 14:07 +0000
              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-10-18 11:45 -0700
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-18 19:27 +0000
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-19 02:30 +0000
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-10-19 02:06 +0000
              Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-18 19:05 +0000
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> - 2026-10-18 19:32 +0000
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2026-10-18 19:37 +0000
                  Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-10-19 02:20 +0000
                Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-18 20:40 +0100

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#93881 — The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

The global network engineers, even with their cherished AI gods,
cannot build a system that handles leap seconds.

To save their sorry asses, the leap second will die on May 20,
2027:

<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-vote-to-end-leap-seconds-redefining-how-the-world-keeps-time/>


GNU/Linux has the option of including leap seconds in its
time reckoning.  But going forward there will be a block of
years where leap seconds are valid while being absent for
other years.  The timzone-data folks will be having more
headaches and things will be more compounded with the
abolition of standard time in the USA.

<https://www.iana.org/time-zones>

Personally, I view the end of leap seconds, and US standard
time, as being quite stupid, but I am in the minority.

The idiots always rule.

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#93884 — Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

Leroy H wrote:

> the leap second will die on May 20, 2027:
I seem to remember a proposal for "blending" the leap second over the 
course of 24h ... I bet the high-frequency traders would love that.

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#93892 — Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

On Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:56:25 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> Leroy H wrote:
> 
>> the leap second will die on May 20, 2027:
> I seem to remember a proposal for "blending" the leap second over the 
> course of 24h ... I bet the high-frequency traders would love that.
>

That must be the Google leap smear:

<https://developers.google.com/time/smear>

I believe that the smear method was proposed for the Linux kernel
but was never implemented.

<https://lwn.net/Articles/648313/>

GNU Libc handles leap seconds by having two identical time stamps
for the seconds that bracket the leap.

For a desktop workstation leap seconds are not a problem.

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#93910

Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> wrote:
|-------------------------|
|"The idiots always rule."|
|-------------------------|

Possibly.
(S. HTTP://Gloucester.Insomnia247.NL/ fuer Kontaktdaten!)

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#94024

Le 16-10-2026, Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> a écrit :
> The global network engineers, even with their cherished AI gods,
> cannot build a system that handles leap seconds.

They can. They did. But they then realized, because they are smarter
than you, that it was a mistake. So unlike you who can only dive dipper
into your mistakes, they take a step back to move in the right
direction.

Being a technical possibility doesn't mean it's a good possibility. They
know why they stepped back. You don't because you can't understand
anything, you can't	 do anything, you can only complain.

> Personally, I view the end of leap seconds, and US standard
> time, as being quite stupid, but I am in the minority.

It's a good thing that you are a minority far away from the guys who
decide. You have no idea of what it takes to maintain huge servers. So
it's a good thing you have no claim in saying if it's worth maintaining
the leap second against its costs. Because your only answer would be
based on dark age knowledge without realizing that things have changed
since then.

> The idiots always rule.

One is always someone's idiot. Being your idiot is something they should
be proud of.

As you are the stupidest guy living on earth which still managed to
avoid winning a Darwin award, your only answer proves they were right to
do it.

-- 
Si vous avez du temps à perdre :
https://scarpet42.gitlab.io

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#94026

In article <6ad3783b$0$7098$426a34cc@news.free.fr>,
Stphane CARPENTIER  <sc@fiat-linux.fr> wrote:
>Le 16-10-2026, Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> a crit:
>> The global network engineers, even with their cherished AI gods,
>> cannot build a system that handles leap seconds.
>
>They can. They did. But they then realized, because they are smarter

Lighten up, Francis!

>Being a technical possibility doesn't mean it's a good possibility. They
>know why they stepped back. You don't because you can't understand
>anything, you can't	 do anything, you can only complain.

Lighten up, Francis!

>> Personally, I view the end of leap seconds, and US standard
>> time, as being quite stupid, but I am in the minority.
>
>It's a good thing that you are a minority far away from the guys who
>decide. You have no idea of what it takes to maintain huge servers. So

Lighten up, Francis!

>As you are the stupidest guy living on earth which still managed to
>avoid winning a Darwin award, your only answer proves they were right to

Lighten up, Francis!

-- 
Ted Cruz sounds like every straight man's first wife.

Ted Cruz is such a closet case his first name should have been Tom.

Show some respect!  Someday, Ted will have a promising career selling reverse mortgages.

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#94031

On 17 Oct 2026 13:29:31 GMT, Stéphane CARPENTIER wrote:

> Le 16-10-2026, Leroy H <lh@somewhere.net> a écrit :
>> The global network engineers, even with their cherished AI gods,
>> cannot build a system that handles leap seconds.
> 
> They can. They did. But they then realized, because they are smarter
> than you, that it was a mistake.
>

Ha, ha, ha!  "They can. They did. But they then realized... that it was
a mistake."  This statement is a just a roundabout way of saying "they
cannot."

Well, I already said it.  They cannot.


> 
> Being a technical possibility doesn't mean it's a good possibility.
>

It's is a terrible decision.  They are literally sacrificing the synchrony
of astronomical time (i.e. civil time based on the earth's rotation) with
TAI or International Atomic Time, and solely for the benefit of these stupid
network engineers.

Time will be out of sync just so Amazon can keep selling its junk without
interruption.

This, by the way, was done by the French, who believe that they possess
a divine right to govern global metrology.  The BIPM (International Bureau
of Weights and Measures), the institution that coordinates global time,
is located in France.

It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) which is
perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most civil
measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.

The French even attempted to impose a metric time, based on decadal units
rather than the traditional sexagesimal units.  Fortunately the French
did not succeed:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_time>


The French, with their Gallic noses, can go and fuck themselves.

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#94041 — Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) which is
> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most civil
> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.

Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant 
people remain in their old ways.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#94132 — Re: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?

On 17/10/2026 18:37, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) which is
>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most civil
>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
> 
> Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant 
> people remain in their old ways.
> 
UK does not use pounds feet or fahrenheit

Yes, many people still understand what they are. But we are all kg, 
metres and celsius now

Only miles remain  dominant over km. And people still think of 'a pint 
of beer' rather than 473ml. Even if it turns out to be 500ml


International aviation measures altitude in feet and speed in knots but 
fuel is now in kg

The thing is. it simply does not matter AF what you use: if you do it 
regularly you know a 10mm socket is ~3/8". That an 1/8" is 3.2mm, or 
that an oz is ±28g

It's just a slight twist on language. The great thing is that no one is 
- in the UK - making anything compulsory any more.

Shops must only display in kg but they are free to use lb, pints. quarts 
or whatever




-- 
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, 
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

Jonathan Swift.

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#94160 — Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

In article <ubocqmx3dc.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>,
Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) which is
>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most civil
>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
>
>Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant 
>people remain in their old ways.

Believe it or not, this (the age-old discussion of US/Imperial vs. metric)
actually seems to be another instance of "Yes, it is technically superior,
but it is not the standard (i.e., what most people use), so we think you
should go with the standard even though it is technically inferior."

There are actually quite a lot of those in life.

I.e., what I'm saying is that there actually are quite a few arguments to
be made that US/Imperial is actually better.

Sort of like Betamax (Yes, the classic example of "better does not ensure
market dominance".)

-- 
"You can safely assume that you have created God in your own image when 
it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."  -- Anne Lamott

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#94167 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 2026-10-18 13:57, Kenny McCormack wrote:
> In article <ubocqmx3dc.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>,
> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) which is
>>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
>>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most civil
>>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
>>
>> Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant
>> people remain in their old ways.
> 
> Believe it or not, this (the age-old discussion of US/Imperial vs. metric)
> actually seems to be another instance of "Yes, it is technically superior,
> but it is not the standard (i.e., what most people use), so we think you
> should go with the standard even though it is technically inferior."
> 
> There are actually quite a lot of those in life.
> 
> I.e., what I'm saying is that there actually are quite a few arguments to
> be made that US/Imperial is actually better.
> 
> Sort of like Betamax (Yes, the classic example of "better does not ensure
> market dominance".)

Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI. As 
in most countries.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#94171 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 18/10/2026 13:20, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2026-10-18 13:57, Kenny McCormack wrote:
>> In article <ubocqmx3dc.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>,
>> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>>>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) 
>>>> which is
>>>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
>>>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most 
>>>> civil
>>>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
>>>
>>> Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant
>>> people remain in their old ways.
>>
>> Believe it or not, this (the age-old discussion of US/Imperial vs. 
>> metric)
>> actually seems to be another instance of "Yes, it is technically 
>> superior,
>> but it is not the standard (i.e., what most people use), so we think you
>> should go with the standard even though it is technically inferior."
>>
>> There are actually quite a lot of those in life.
>>
>> I.e., what I'm saying is that there actually are quite a few arguments to
>> be made that US/Imperial is actually better.
>>
>> Sort of like Betamax (Yes, the classic example of "better does not ensure
>> market dominance".)
> 
> Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI. As 
> in most countries.
> 
Not really

Just yours


-- 
"Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and 
higher education positively fortifies it."

    - Stephen Vizinczey

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#94175 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 2026-10-18 14:25, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 18/10/2026 13:20, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>> On 2026-10-18 13:57, Kenny McCormack wrote:
>>> In article <ubocqmx3dc.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>,
>>> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>>> On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>>>>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) 
>>>>> which is
>>>>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in daily
>>>>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that most 
>>>>> civil
>>>>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
>>>>
>>>> Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant
>>>> people remain in their old ways.
>>>
>>> Believe it or not, this (the age-old discussion of US/Imperial vs. 
>>> metric)
>>> actually seems to be another instance of "Yes, it is technically 
>>> superior,
>>> but it is not the standard (i.e., what most people use), so we think you
>>> should go with the standard even though it is technically inferior."
>>>
>>> There are actually quite a lot of those in life.
>>>
>>> I.e., what I'm saying is that there actually are quite a few 
>>> arguments to
>>> be made that US/Imperial is actually better.
>>>
>>> Sort of like Betamax (Yes, the classic example of "better does not 
>>> ensure
>>> market dominance".)
>>
>> Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI. 
>> As in most countries.
>>
> Not really
> 
> Just yours
> 
> 
Really? X'-D

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#94184 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 18/10/2026 13:31, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2026-10-18 14:25, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> On 18/10/2026 13:20, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>> On 2026-10-18 13:57, Kenny McCormack wrote:
>>>> In article <ubocqmx3dc.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>,
>>>> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>>>> On 2026-10-17 16:19, Leroy H wrote:
>>>>>> It was the French that gave the world the metric system (or SI) 
>>>>>> which is
>>>>>> perhaps fit for the sterile laboratory but which has no place in 
>>>>>> daily
>>>>>> life.  Indeed, both the USA and GB resist the SI units in that 
>>>>>> most civil
>>>>>> measurements are still reported in pounds, feet, Fahrenheit, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Lighten up, the SI is used in the entire world. Just some recalcitrant
>>>>> people remain in their old ways.
>>>>
>>>> Believe it or not, this (the age-old discussion of US/Imperial vs. 
>>>> metric)
>>>> actually seems to be another instance of "Yes, it is technically 
>>>> superior,
>>>> but it is not the standard (i.e., what most people use), so we think 
>>>> you
>>>> should go with the standard even though it is technically inferior."
>>>>
>>>> There are actually quite a lot of those in life.
>>>>
>>>> I.e., what I'm saying is that there actually are quite a few 
>>>> arguments to
>>>> be made that US/Imperial is actually better.
>>>>
>>>> Sort of like Betamax (Yes, the classic example of "better does not 
>>>> ensure
>>>> market dominance".)
>>>
>>> Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI. 
>>> As in most countries.
>>>
>> Not really
>>
>> Just yours
>>
>>
> Really? X'-D
> 
Yes. The EU has tried to stamp it all out, but really it is pointless

While most countries are 'officially' metric, all sorts - not just 
imperial - of measurements linger on,

Horse racing - prizes in guineas, distances in furlongs and horses 
height is in hands

Gemstones - in carats and points

Precious metal - troy ounces and grains

Font sizes - points

Power - horse power

Aircraft - distance in nautical miles, airspeed in knots or Mach number, 
altitude in feet,  pressure Hectopascals (hPa) / Millibars (mbar): The 
international standard for altimeter settings outside North America. 
Inches of Mercury (inHg): The standard altimeter unit used primarily in 
North America and Japan. Pounds per Square Inch (psi): Applied for tire, 
hydraulic, and cabin differential pressures. Millimeters of Mercury 
(mmHg): Found in legacy instruments and regional weather reports.Pascals 
(Pa) / Kilopascals (kPa): Used in engineering and environmental control 
specifications.Bar / Atmosphere (atm): Applied in component testing and 
oxygen systems. Force in gs,  Engine thrust in pounds...

Time in sexadecimal hours, minutes and seconds

Distance in light years or parsecs

Angles in radians or degrees

Screw sizes in 'number'

In fact there are hundreds of non SI units - even metric ones - in use.

No one is going to retool the world, recalibrate  all the instruments, 
rewrite all the textbooks, just to satisfy some Brussels Bureaucrat with 
a fetish for 'harmonization'






-- 
“The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the 
urge to rule it.”
– H. L. Mencken

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#94188 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

Le 18-10-2026, Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> a écrit :
> On 2026-10-18 14:25, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> On 18/10/2026 13:20, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>> Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI. 
>>> As in most countries.
>>>
>> Not really
>> 
>> Just yours
>> 
>> 
> Really? X'-D

In Spain, as well as in Portugal and in France and in Germany and in
Belgian and in Netherlands and in Morocco and in Algeria and in Egypt
and in Roumania and in India. I stop here because I can't speak about
countries in which I don't know anyone.

Well, that's why I'm calling him The Blind Natural Philosopher.

-- 
Si vous avez du temps à perdre :
https://scarpet42.gitlab.io

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#94207 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 18 Oct 2026 13:35:15 GMT, Stéphane CARPENTIER wrote:

> Le 18-10-2026, Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> a écrit :
>> On 2026-10-18 14:25, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> On 18/10/2026 13:20, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>>> Here, the imperial system is not even mentioned in school. All is SI.
>>>> As in most countries.
>>>>
>>> Not really
>>> 
>>> Just yours
>>> 
>>> 
>> Really? X'-D
> 
> In Spain, as well as in Portugal and in France and in Germany and in
> Belgian and in Netherlands and in Morocco and in Algeria and in Egypt
> and in Roumania and in India. I stop here because I can't speak about
> countries in which I don't know anyone.


The US tried to move to metric in 1975 and wasn't entirely successful. 
Kilometers, in particular, fell flat. I spent enough time driving in 
Canada to be somewhat comfortable but I don't have a gut feeling. If I see 
a speed limit of 100 kph I convert it to 60 as close enough. I've no 
feeling at all for Centigrade. 

The result is my 1986 pickup and 1998 Harley have a mix of SAE and Metric 
fasteners so I need two sets of wrenches. At least the Toyota and two 
Suzuki bikes are pure metric.

Technically it's United States Customary Units, which were adopted before 
Britain defined the Imperial system. Back when Canada was still Imperial 
getting an Imperial gallon seemed like a bargain. Now that gasoline is 
sold by liters in Canada and a Canadian dollar is 71 cents American I 
don't have a clue.

The Whitworth system was the bane of my youthful infatuation with British 
sports cars. Another oddity is measuring from land to land when 
determining caliber, not groove to groove. When reloading for my three-
line Mosin Nagant which prefers .311 bullets I buy .303 British which are 
.311 in diameter rather than the more common US .30 caliber which are 
.308.  7.62 NATO turns out to have a bullet diameter of 7.83 mm (.308).

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#94252 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On 2026-10-18, rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:

> The US tried to move to metric in 1975 and wasn't entirely successful. 
> Kilometers, in particular, fell flat. I spent enough time driving in 
> Canada to be somewhat comfortable but I don't have a gut feeling. If I see 
> a speed limit of 100 kph I convert it to 60 as close enough. I've no 
> feeling at all for Centigrade. 

That's where being a computer nerd came in handy.  When Canada switches
to kilometers, I was able to just read the numbers on my speedometer
as hex.

I'm now fully bilingual in distances and temperature.  The one thing
that really pisses me off is gas mileage: it was flipped upside-down
(miles per gallon to litres per 100 km), so you can't just apply a
conversion factor like you can with other units.

-- 
/~\  Charlie Gibbs                  |  In this world there are
\ /  <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>      |  two kinds of people:
 X   I'm really at ac.dekanfrus     |  1. Those who can extrapolate
/ \  if you read it the right way.  |  from incomplete data.

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#94260 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

On Sun, 18 Oct 2026 21:41:21 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

> 
> I'm now fully bilingual in distances and temperature.  The one thing
> that really pisses me off is gas mileage: it was flipped upside-down
> (miles per gallon to litres per 100 km), so you can't just apply a
> conversion factor like you can with other units.
>

There is a conversion factor, and it is easy to work out.

X miles per gallon = 235.214/X liters per 100 km

Example:

30 miles per gallon = 235.214/30 = 7.84 liters per 100 km

I'll let you work out the reverse factor.

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#94296 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second is Dead. How Will GNU/Linux Cope?)

Leroy H wrote:

> Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> 
>> I'm now fully bilingual in distances and temperature.

UK weather forecasts officially switched from F to C before I was born, 
but in practice they used dual units for decades afterwards.

>> The one thing that really pisses me off is gas mileage: it was
>> flipped upside-down (miles per gallon to litres per 100 km), so you
>> can't just apply a conversion factor like you can with other units.
> 
> There is a conversion factor, and it is easy to work out.
> X miles per gallon = 235.214/X liters per 100 km
If you take the litres per 100 km number, a volume divided by a length, 
it's an area.

> 30 miles per gallon = 235.214/30 = 7.84 liters per 100 km

Imagine a trough of petrol in the middle of the road, instead of a 
petrol tank, cars could have a scoop, for your 30mpg car, the scoop 
would only need to be 0.0784 mm^2

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#94266 — Re: Metric vs. US/Imperial (Was: The Leap Second ...)

On Sun, 18 Oct 2026 21:41:21 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

> I'm now fully bilingual in distances and temperature.

Temperature scales in common use are arbitrary, anyway. Having done
some undergrad physics, I prefer a scale where zero means zero; i.e.
why we don’t just use Kelvin for temperature measurements, and be done
with it.

> The one thing that really pisses me off is gas mileage: it was
> flipped upside-down (miles per gallon to litres per 100 km), so you
> can't just apply a conversion factor like you can with other units.

The trip computer inside my car shows km/l.

It seems to me “litres per 100 km” is a somewhat awkward thing to
write and say: simpler to use “cl/km”, since the numbers are exactly
the same.

Never heard of “centilitres”? Look at wine bottles (at least, European
ones). May not be long before petrol is as expensive as wine, anyway.
;)

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