Archive:Project fork

2004-10-31T19:38:05Z

212.159.101.179: /* Other examples */

In [[software]], a '''project fork''' or '''branch''' happens when a developer (or a group of them) takes code from a project and starts to develop independently of the rest. The term is also used more loosely to represent a similar branching of any work (for example, there are several forks of the English language [[Wikipedia]]).

The term is particularly used in [[free software|free]] or [[open source]] software, when a [[schism]] occurs because of different goals or personality clashes. Some see forks as a weakness in Open Source, but they can demonstrate the adaptability of the model. The relationship between the different teams can be cordial or very bitter.

In a fork situation, both parties inherit identical [[intellectual rights]] but typically only the larger group, or that containing the original [[software architecture|architect]], will retain the full original name and its associated [[social capital]]. Thus there is a reputation penalty associated with forking.

This can happen in closed-source software as well if the rights to the common code are shared, but this is rarer as usually there are strict rules about ownership of the code. More commonly in closed source software is a developer forking their own code to develop two versions, such as a windowed version and a command line version.

In some cases, a fork can merge back into the original project or replace it. [[EGCS]] (Experimental/Enhanced GNU Compiler System) was a fork from [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] which proved more vital than the original project and was eventually "blessed" as the official GCC project.

Some projects attempt internal forks to further development. When the [[Mozilla]] suite (Seamonkey) appeared bogged down and overly beholden to [[Netscape Communications Corporation|Netscape]]'s commercial needs, some Mozilla developers started a separate stripped-down browser project. This developed into [[Mozilla Firefox]], which has been sufficiently successful to be declared the official Mozilla browser when it is ready.

==Other examples==

*[[Enciclopedia Libre]] is a fork from the [http://es.wikipedia.org Spanish-language Wikipedia] to evade possible advertising.
*[[Pretty Good Privacy]] was forked outside of the United States to free it from the restrictive laws on the exportation of cryptographic software.
*[[XEmacs]] was a fork from [[Emacs]] to support the proprietary Energize environment.
*The split of [[Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD]] from AT&T [[UNIX]].
*The many varieties of [[proprietary]] [[UNIX]] — all derived from AT&T UNIX and all called "UNIX", but increasingly mutually incompatible. ''See'' [[UNIX wars]].
*The development of the [[NTFS]] filesystem by Microsoft based upon previous work on [[HPFS]] that was left to [[IBM]]
*The game [[Nethack]] has spawned a number of variants using the original code (it is sometimes thought of as a fork of [[Rogue (computer game)|Rogue]], but its code was written independently).
*[[OpenBSD]] was originally a fork from [[NetBSD]], arising from conflicts of personality between NetBSD developers.
*[[OpenSSH]] was a fork from [[SSH]], which happened because the license for SSH 2.x was "[[non-free]]" (even though the source was available), so an older version of SSH 1.x, which was the last to have been licensed as [[free software]], was forked. Within months, virtually all Linux distributions, BSD versions and even some proprietary Unixes had replaced SSH with OpenSSH.
*[[X.org]] was a fork from [[XFree]] for a very similar reason as that of SSH and OpenSSH. Development on [[X11]] has since speeded up and most distributions have switched.
*[[DragonflyBSD]] forked from [[FreeBSD]] in order to pursue different technical approaches to those used in FreeBSD 5.

==See also==
*[[revision control]]

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Archive:Project fork