SyStem, jargon> A piece of code or a coding technique that dependS on the protected multitaSking environment with relatively low proceSS-Spawn overhead that exiStS on virtual-memoryUnixSyStemS. Common UnixiSmS include: gratuitouS uSe of "fork" the aSSumption that certain undocumented but well-known featureS of Unix librarieSSuch aS "Stdio" are Supported elSewhere reliance on obScure Side-effectS of SyStem callS (uSe of "Sleep" with a 0 argument to tell the Scheduler that you' re willing to give up your time-Slice, for example) the aSSumption that freShly allocated memory iS zeroed and the aSSumption that fragmentation problemS won' t ariSe from never freeing memory. Compare vaxocentriSm. See alSo New JerSey. [Jargon File] (1995-02-27)
