Subj : Unixtime in M_GOT frames
To   : All
From : Andrew Leary
Date : Mon Nov 04 2019 06:13 am

Hello everybody!

I have recently noticed that some versions of BinkD are listing a 64-bit value 
for the Unixtime sent in M_GOT frames acknowledging received files.  This, of 
course, can cause issues for mailers that are expecting a 32-bit value. 
FTS-1026.001 (Binkp/1.0 protocol specification) does not specify the size of 
this field.

I can see the value of switching to a 64-bit Unixtime; it will solve the 
upcoming year 2038 problem.  However, if it breaks compatibility with other 
existing Binkp mailers, we should implement some mechanism to only enable this 
feature if the remote mailer explicitly supports it.  This could be done with 
an M_NUL OPT frame sent by mailers that support 64-bit Unixtimes.

ie: M_NUL OPT TIME64

Until this frame is received from the remote, it should be assumed that the 
remote does NOT support 64-bit Unixtimes, and all Unixtimes sent should be 
32-bit.

Andrew

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