Re: i don't understand what this word mean.

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 19:28:53 +0100, <ilovecpp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Recently, I've read a book "Linux Kernel Primer" and English is not my
mother languege.

so, in chapter 3, I read below paragraph.

"A process is created by a previously existing process with a call to
fork(). Forked processes are referred to as the child processes, and
the process that creates them is referred to as the parent process. The
child and parent processes continue to run in parallel. If the parent
continues to spawn more child processes, these processes are sibling
processes to the original child. The children may in turn spawn off
child processes of their own. This creates a hierarchical relationship
among processes that define their relationship"

and I can't understand what "The children may in turn spawn off child
processes of their own" means. I don't know "spawn off"'s meaning and I
can't find my dictionary.

what does mean, "spawn off". 

Websters Unabridged:

spawn, v.t. and v.i.
  1. to produce or deposit (spawn or eggs)
  2. to bring forth or be the source of (especially something
     regarded with contempt and produced prolifically or in great quantity)
  3. in horticulture, to plant with spawn, or mycelium.

The above text includes "spawn" twice in the definition, but as nouns.

spawn, n.
  1. the mass of eggs emitted by fishes, mollusks, crustaceans,
     amphibians, etc.
  2. something produced, especially in great quantity, or some person
     or thing regarded as a product or offspring: usually contemptuous.
  3. the mycelium of fungi, especially of mushrooms grown to be eaten,
     used for propagation.

I am also not a native English speaker, but in Computer English, when
a process creates a new process, the verb used to describe it is almost
always "spawn".  I believe that "spawn off" is just emphatic, making a
stronger appeal to the reader's imagination, so he imagines more
vividly the child process coming off the parent process.

-Enrique
.

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