Creating child process using fork() in Python

Create a child process and display process id of both parent and child process.

Fork system call use for creates a new process, which is called child process, which runs concurrently with process (which process called system call fork) and this process is called parent process. After a new child process created, both processes will execute the next instruction following the fork() system call.

Library used :
os : The OS module in Python provides a way of using operating system dependent functionality. The functions that the OS module provides allows you to interface with the underlying operating system that Python is running on; be that Windows, Mac or Linux. It can be imported as –

import os

System Call Used :

fork() : fork() is an operation whereby a process creates a copy of itself. It is usually a system call, implemented in the kernel.

getpid() : getpid() returns the process ID (PID) of the calling process.

Below is Python program implementing above :

# Python code to create child process  
import os 
  
def parent_child(): 
    n = os.fork() 
  
    # n greater than 0  means parent process 
    if n > 0: 
        print("Parent process and id is : ", os.getpid()) 
  
    # n equals to 0 means child process 
    else: 
        print("Child process and id is : ", os.getpid()) 
          
# Driver code 
parent_child() 

Output :


Child process and id is :  32523
Parent process and id is :  32524

Note : Output can vary time to time, machine to machine or process to process.

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