Fork (software development): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:28, 11 August 2023

Revision as of 12:48, 11 August 2023

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{{redirect|Fork (software)|the operation whereby a process creates a copy of itself|fork (system call)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

[[File:Linux Distribution Timeline.svg|thumb|upright|A timeline chart showing the evolution of [[Linux distribution]]s, with each spitsplit in the diagram being called "a fork"]]

In [[software engineering]], a '''project fork''' happens when developers take a copy of [[source code]] from one [[Computer software|software package]] and start independent development on it, creating a distinct and separate piece of software. The term often implies not merely a [[branching (revision control)|development branch]], but also a split in the developer community; as such, it is a form of [[schism]].<ref>"Schism", with its connotations, is a common usage, ''e.g.''

* [http://www.jwz.org/doc/lemacs.html "the Lemacs/FSFmacs schism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130093142/http://www.jwz.org/doc/lemacs.html|date=30 November 2009}} ([[Jamie Zawinski]], 2000)