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15 views5 pages

CC311_Lab4

Uploaded by

mahnoormukhtar347
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Govt.

Graduate College Sheikhupura

CC-311L Operating Systems Lab


Lab Manual 4

Lab Summary
We will study syntax, working and usage of fork () system call
in this lab.

Introduction of fork() system call


fork() is a system call used to create a new process. The new
process is called a child process and the original process is called
the parent process. The child process by default is a duplicate of
the parent process. By duplicate we mean that the child process
has the same code as the parent process but the memory space
of both the processes is separate. The syntax of using fork() is :

Syntax of fork() system call

#include<unistd.h>
pid_t fork(void);

fork() returns -1 on failure; On success it returns ‘0’ in the


child process and process-id of the child in the parent
process.

What is the need to duplicate a process?

It may happen that a process is required to do two tasks that are


independent. Since the tasks are to be done by the same
process, they can be executed one after the other only. Now to do
the same task in roughly half the time the process (parent) creates
a new process (child). One of the task is performed by the parent
and the other by the child. Consider it as a situation where you are
supposed to do to two tasks and to complete them in quick time
you take help of your friend which does one of the task for you.

We know that a process is program in execution. For the parent


process the program is written by the programmer but from where

Lecturer: Muhammad Kamran


Govt. Graduate College Sheikhupura

the child gets its program? The child runs the same code as its
parent; hence, it is called a duplicate process.

If the same code is run both by the parent and the child then isn’t
the task done twice? It’s the job of the programmer to write the
code in such a manner that only one of the task is done when the
parent process runs the code and the other task is done when the
child runs the code.

Program for fork() system call

#include<stdio.h>
#include<unistd.h>
#include<sys/types.h>
int main()
{
pid_t p;
printf("before fork\n");
p=fork();
if(p==0)
{
printf("I am child having id %d\n",getpid());
printf("My parent's id is %d\n",getppid());
}
else
{
printf("My child's id is %d\n",p);
printf("I am parent having id %d\n",getpid());
}
printf("Common\n");
}

Lecturer: Muhammad Kamran


Govt. Graduate College Sheikhupura

Working of fork() system call

After compiling the program with gcc it creates an output file


“a.out”. The moment you run a.out using the command, ./a.out, a
new process is created (parent). This process gets the process id
(PID) 27. The PID will differ from system to system and each time
you run the program. The process starts to run and it
prints before fork. Next it executes the fork() system call. If it gets
executed a child process is created having a different PID. Now
there are two process in the system both having the same code to
run. But since the code has been run till this line the execution will
continue from the next line in both the process. fork() on success
returns either 0 or a non-zero value. Since, the same code is both
the processes the variable ‘p’ will have some value in both the
process. In the parent process it gets a non-zero positive value
(which actually is the PID of the child). In the child process ‘p’ gets
the value ‘0’.

Hence the next lines of code has been written to check the value
of ‘p’. When the if-else code runs from within the parent the
condition becomes false and the else part is run. So, the lines

My child’s id is 28

I am parent having id 27

Lecturer: Muhammad Kamran


Govt. Graduate College Sheikhupura

Are printed by the parent process.

When the if-else case runs from within the child the if condition
becomes true and hence the lines

I am child having id 28

My parent’s id is 27

Are printed by the child process.

Since the printf(“common\n”) line was out of the if-else it has been
printed twice; once by the parent process and once by the child
process.

By analysing the PID printed by each process the parent-child


relationship can also be verified between them. The process with
PID 27 says its child has a PID 28. Similarly, the process with PID
28 says its parent has a PID 27.

Note: The function getpid() is used to print the PID of a process


while the function getppid() is used to print the PID of the parent
process.

Point to Remember:

Whatever task you want the parent to perform should be written in


the else part and the task for the child process should be written
in p==0 part. Anything outside the if-else will be performed by
both parent and child.

Why the output is not in an order?

If the code is run multiple times, the order of the output lines may
differ. Since there are two processes, the processor can be
assigned to any of them. One of them can pre-empt the other and
hence the output may overlap. The order of the output will differ. If
you want the parent to execute first or the child to execute first
then either wait() or sleep() functions can be used depending on
the requirement.

Lecturer: Muhammad Kamran


Govt. Graduate College Sheikhupura

Practice Program on fork() system call

Q1. Write a program using fork() system call to create two child of
the same process i.e., Parent P having child process P1 and P2.
Q2. Write a program using fork() system call to create a hierarchy
of 3 process such that P2 is the child of P1 and P1 is the child of
P.

Viva questions on fork() system call

Q1. What does the fork() system call return on success?


Q2. What is the PID of the child process?
Q3. Which function is used to get the PID of a process?
Q4. How many total process are created with the below code

int main()
{
fork();
fork();
}

Lecturer: Muhammad Kamran

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