Re: [PATCHv2] Add support for leap seconds in zoneinfo files

[Rich Felker <dalias@aerifal.cx>]

On Fri, Dec 06, 2013 at 01:15:52AM +0000, Laurent Bercot wrote:
> 
> >Regarding the unfortunate coupling of timezone and leapsecond data
> >into a single file, do the zoneinfo files with leapseconds have their
> >timezone transition times stored in POSIX time or TAI?
> 
>  TAI-10 (the 10 seconds offset is so it's the same as POSIX time
> before 1972). As I said, it's the only behaviour that makes sense:
> we're counting a number of seconds and we want it to be unambiguous.
> POSIX time would create an ambiguity for the very moment when a leap
> second happens, which defeats the purpose.

The reason I asked is that it means, if you're using TAI-10, you have
to have matching zoneinfo files for the daylight time transitions to
work correctly. This really complicates the matter of having POSIX/TAI
and TZ be separate...

> >At the very least they would have some overhead determining that
> >leapseconds aren't in use.
> 
>  Indeed, one test at executable start. :)

At first use. Definitely not at executable start.

>  Do you have any idea what form this test would take, if we're opting
> away from TZ ?

No, I don't know.

Rich