Fork
In software development, a fork is a new application developed from an existing one. When an application is “forked,” it creates a new, separate program, rather than a new development branch. Open-source project forks are more common than proprietary software forks, but both are possible.
Open-Source Software
Because open-source software may be freely distributed and edited, anyone can legally fork an open-source application. The codebase of any open-source program or operating system may be used as the basis of a new project. Most Linux distributions, for example, are forks from earlier Linux-based operating systems. Because of Linux’s popularity and open-source code base, hundreds of Linux forks exist.
Examples of applications created from forks of open-source code libraries include:
LibreOffice, from OpenOffice.org
Collabora Online, from LibreOffice
Calligra, from KOffice
Basilisk, from Firefox
Proprietary Software
Since the source code of proprietary software is protected by copyright, outside developers cannot fork a commercial application. However, a developer may wish to fork an application to create a slightly different version for another purpose. For example, a developer may fork an image editor to create a read-only image viewer that prevents users from modifying files.
NOTE: Unlike a mod, which alters or adds features to an existing application, a fork is a new, distinct program with a different name.
Updated September 24, 2021 by Per C.
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