Fork (file System)
In a computer file system, a fork is byte stream associated with a file system object. Every non-empty file must have at least one fork, and depending on the file system, a file may have one or more other associated forks, which in turn may contain primary data integral to the file, or just metadata. Unlike extended attributes, a similar file system feature which is typically limited in size, forks can be of arbitrary size, possibly even larger than the file's primary data fork. The size of a file is the sum of the sizes of each fork.
Read more about Fork (file System): Possible Security and Data Loss Risks
Famous quotes containing the word fork:
“Wherever a man separates from the multitude, and goes his own way in this mood, there indeed is a fork in the road, though ordinary travelers may see only a gap in the paling. His solitary path across lots will turn out the higher way of the two.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)