Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when a copy of source code from one software package is made into a different piece of software. Forking is not only creating a new branch from the old software, but also a split in support between the old and new software. Free and open-source software is code that may be forked from the original development team without prior permission.[1] This does not violate copyright law. However, licensed forks of proprietary software (e.g. Unix) also happen.
Fork (software Development) Media
A timeline chart showing the evolution of Linux distributions, with each split in the diagram being called "a fork"
References
- ↑ Open Source Systems: Grounding Research: 7th IFIP 2.13 International Conference, OSS 2011, Salvador, Brazil, October 6-7, 2011, Proceedings, eds. Scott Hissam; et al. (Heidelberg [Germany]; New York: Springer, 2011), p. 260
