cmd/mesh-controller/machine_lines.go

@@ -24,7 +24,12 @@ func machineLines(a inventory.MachineAccount, had bool, now time.Time) []string
 			"    " + factLine("kernel", orUnsaid(a.Kernel)),
 		}
 	}
-	out := []string{fmt.Sprintf("  what it is made of, as it said %s ago:", roughly(now.Sub(m.ObservedAt)))}
+	age := roughly(now.Sub(m.ObservedAt)) + " ago"
+	if m.ObservedAt.IsZero() {
+		// Said with no time: its age is not known, and is never read as two thousand years.
+		age = "at a time it did not say (age unknown)"
+	}
+	out := []string{fmt.Sprintf("  what it is made of, as it said %s:", age)}
 	add := func(name, value string) { out = append(out, "    "+factLine(name, value)) }
 	unknown := map[string]string{}
 	for k, v := range m.Unknown {

cmd/mesh-controller/machine_lines_test.go

@@ -78,3 +78,11 @@ func TestAnOlderNodeEngineStillShowsArchitectureAndKernel(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%s", got)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAnAccountWithoutItsTimeSaysAgeUnknown(t *testing.T) {
+	got := machineLines(inventory.MachineAccount{Architecture: "amd64", Kernel: "linux",
+		Machine: &inventory.MadeOf{KernelRelease: "7.2"}}, true, time.Now())[0]
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "age unknown") || strings.Contains(got, "d ago") {
+		t.Errorf("%s", got)
+	}
+}