fork process in Java

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

JJ - 26 Mar 2006 18:19 GMT

Hello:

Besides Runtime.exec("executiable name"), what are the other ways to
"fork a process" in Java.

Thanks.

JJ

Reply to this Message

Roedy Green - 26 Mar 2006 19:56 GMT

>Besides Runtime.exec("executiable name"), what are the other ways to
>"fork a process" in Java.

you can start a Thread which is internal to the JVM.

That's it as far as I know. Anything else would be platform specific
and require JNI.

Signature

Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
http://mindprod.com Java custom programming, consulting and coaching.

Reply to this Message

Peter Jones - 26 Mar 2006 22:17 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> JJ

As far as I'm aware, you "fork" a process by using threads. You'ld have to
Google it more though, thats as far as I know. Hope it helps

Reply to this Message

Wibble - 27 Mar 2006 02:58 GMT

>>Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> As far as I'm aware, you "fork" a process by using threads. You'ld have to
> Google it more though, thats as far as I know. Hope it helps

A thread isn't a processess. The only way other
than Runtime.exec is to write JNI code (java native interface).

You probably dont really want to fork a process, right?

Reply to this Message

Thomas Weidenfeller - 27 Mar 2006 08:41 GMT

> Besides Runtime.exec("executiable name"), what are the other ways to
> "fork a process" in Java.

The almost unknown java.lang.ProcessBuilder

Don't ask me why Sun added this in 1.5.

/Thomas

Signature

The comp.lang.java.gui FAQ:
ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/pub/NEWS.ANSWERS/computer-lang/java/gui/faq
http://www.uni-giessen.de/faq/archiv/computer-lang.java.gui.faq/

Reply to this Message

tom fredriksen - 27 Mar 2006 14:45 GMT

> Hello:
>
> Besides Runtime.exec("executiable name"), what are the other ways to
> "fork a process" in Java.

AFAIK, there is no fork concept in java, thats a unix thing. The only
concepts available are starting a new application (exec) and starting
new threads. There might be some library that have implemented fork etc
through jni (I know there is for posix pipes, shared memory etc.), that
would give you almost the full power of fork and the unix process
concept. But sadly its not supported in java.

/tom

Reply to this Message

Thomas Hawtin - 27 Mar 2006 17:14 GMT

> AFAIK, there is no fork concept in java, thats a unix thing. The only
> concepts available are starting a new application (exec) and starting
> new threads. There might be some library that have implemented fork etc
> through jni (I know there is for posix pipes, shared memory etc.), that
> would give you almost the full power of fork and the unix process
> concept. But sadly its not supported in java.

Indeed, Windows creates new processes rather than forks (although
presumably it can do some kind of fudged fork for POSIX). I don't like
the chances of the JRE keeping it together if you try to use it from
both legs.

Tom Hawtin

Signature

Unemployed English Java programmer
http://jroller.com/page/tackline/

Reply to this Message

James McGill - 27 Mar 2006 18:45 GMT

> AFAIK, there is no fork concept in java, thats a unix thing.

A fork() would amount to a copy of the JVM. I get no further than that
when I realize it's too complicated to even think about.

Reply to this Message

fork process in Java

Free Magazines