Action Quote by Linus Torvalds
“So I would not be surprised if the globbing libraries, for example, will do NFD-mangling in order to glob "correctly", so even programs ported from real Unix might end up getting pathnames subtly changed into NFD as part of some hot library-on-library action with UTF hackery inside.”
About This Quote
Source Technical discussion: Unix file handling, 2023
Files may be automatically normalized to NFD form by globbing libraries, altering pathnames without user awareness.
In simple terms: Libraries can change filename encoding silently.
Key Takeaway
Check encoding handling in code.
Themes
software
encoding
filesystem
Mood
cautious
technical
Type
informative
warning
When to use this quote
- cross‑platform scripts
- file management
- software deployment
Key Concepts
Unicode normalization
glob patterns
library behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you verify filename encoding in your tools?
- How can you detect hidden NFD changes?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all libraries behave similarly; may not apply to all environments.
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