


      FORK(3F)                    (bsd 4.2)                    FORK(3F)



      NAME
           fork -  create a copy of this process

      SYNTAX
           integer function fork ()

      DESCRIPTION
           Fork creates a copy of the calling process.  The only
           distinction between the 2 processes is that the value
           returned to one of them (referred to as the 'parent'
           process) will be the process id if the copy.  The copy is
           usually referred to as the 'child' process.  The value
           returned to the 'child' process will be zero.

           All logical units open for writing are flushed before the
           fork to avoid duplication of the contents of the I/O buffers
           in the external file(s).

           If the returned value is negative, it indicates an error and
           will be the negation of the system error code.  See
           perror(3F).

           A corresponding exec routine has not been provided because
           there is no satisfactory way to retain open logical units
           across the exec.  However, the usual function of fork/exec
           can be performed using system(3F).


      FILES
           /usr/lib/libU77.a

      SEE ALSO
           fork(2), wait(3F), kill(3F), perror(3F)






















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