catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  child process
       
           A process created by another process (the
          parent process).  Each process may create many child
          processes but will have only one parent process, except for
          the very first process which has no parent.  The first
          process, called init in Unix, is started by the kernel
          at boot time and never terminates.  A child process inherits
          most of its attributes, such as open files, from its parent.
          In fact in Unix, a child process is created (using fork) as
          a copy of the parent.  The chid process can then overlay
          itself with a different program (using exec) as required.
       
          (1997-11-22)