Revision as of 10:48, 25 December 2024 edit VulcanSphere (talk \| contribs) Extended confirmed users 22,243 edits m Changing short description from "New program, and line of software development, derived from an existing one" to "Independent software derived from existing software" Tag: Shortdesc helper ← Previous edit		Revision as of 11:13, 12 May 2025 edit undo Stevebroshar (talk \| contribs) Extended confirmed users 5,285 edits fork seems more associated with software development than software engineering ... which matches the article title Next edit →
Line 3: {{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 split in the diagram being called "a fork"]] In [[software ~~engineering~~development]], 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.{{Example needed\|date=June 2024}} 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) * [https://lwn.net/Articles/419822/ "Behind the KOffice split"] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706094238/http://lwn.net/Articles/419822/\|date=6 July 2013}} (Joe Brockmeier, ''Linux Weekly News'', 2010-12-14)

Fork (software development): Difference between revisions