Wait (system call)In computer operating systems, a process (or task) may wait for another process to complete its execution. In most systems, a parent process can create an independently executing child process. The parent process may then issue a wait system call, which suspends the execution of the parent process while the child executes. When the child process terminates, it returns an exit status to the operating system, which is then returned to the waiting parent process. The parent process then resumes execution.
Parent processIn computing, a parent process is a process that has created one or more child processes. In Unix-like operating systems, every process except process 0 (the swapper) is created when another process executes the fork() system call. The process that invoked fork is the parent process and the newly created process is the child process. Every process (except process 0) has one parent process, but can have many child processes. The operating system kernel identifies each process by its process identifier.
Fork (programmation)La fonction fork fait partie des appels système standard d'UNIX (norme POSIX). Cette fonction permet à un processus (un programme en cours d'exécution) de donner naissance à un nouveau processus qui est sa copie conforme, par exemple en vue de réaliser un second traitement parallèlement au premier. Un bon moyen de visualiser l'effet d'un fork sur un processus est d'imaginer une division cellulaire. Il existe une filiation dans les processus : le créateur d'un nouveau processus est appelé le père et le nouveau processus, le fils.
