What Does Fork Do in Unix?
Contents

The fork() function is used to create a new process by duplicating the existing process from which it is called. The existing process from which this function is called becomes the parent process and the newly created process becomes the child process.

Why fork is used in Unix?

fork() is how you create new processes in Unix. When you call fork , you’re creating a copy of your own process that has its own address space. This allows multiple tasks to run independently of one another as though they each had the full memory of the machine to themselves.

What does the fork () do?

System call fork() is used to create processes. The purpose of fork() is to create a new process, which becomes the child process of the caller. After a new child process is created, both processes will execute the next instruction following the fork() system call.

Sarah Jenkins

Sarah Jenkins

Senior Technology Editor & AI Specialist

Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.

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