Unix brain damage

Something that has to be done to break a network program

(typically a mailer) on a non-Unix system so that it will

interoperate with Unix systems. The hack may qualify as "Unix

brain damage" if the program conforms to published standards

and the Unix program in question does not. Unix brain

damage happens because it is much easier for other (minority)

systems to change their ways to match non-conforming behaviour

than it is to change all the hundreds of thousands of Unix

systems out there.

An example of Unix brain damage is a kluge in a mail server

to recognise bare line feed (the Unix newline) as an

equivalent form to the Internet standard newline, which is a

carriage return followed by a line feed. Such things can make

even a hardened jock weep.

[Jargon File]