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fork (system call)
open-in-new
<p>In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, particularly in the context of the <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> operating system and <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">its workalikes</a>, fork is an operation whereby a <a href="/facts/Computer_process/Vcq7EnUV">process</a> creates a copy of itself. It is an interface which is required for compliance with the <a href="/facts/POSIX/mQkSt234">POSIX</a> and <a href="/facts/Single_UNIX_Specification/w1ba5bDt">Single UNIX Specification</a> standards. It is usually implemented as a <a href="/facts/C_standard_library/qdG1nW2c">C standard library</a> <a href="/facts/Wrapper_library/b61otW6r">wrapper</a> to the fork, clone, or other <a href="/facts/System_call/NW44AFJr">system calls</a> of the <a href="/facts/Kernel_(operating_system)/uEj4U3Rz">kernel</a>. Fork is the primary method of process creation on Unix-like operating systems. </p>