From: Tim Hammerquist <tim@...>
Date: 2003-09-20T02:59:41+09:00
Subject: Re: fork not available?

walter@mwsewall.com graced us by uttering:
> I am running windows 2000 using the PragProgs install.
>
> I have tried fork but get an unimplemented on this machine
> error.  I have tried this on multiple windows 2000 machines and
> get the same error.

> I am trying to get a long running program to use 2 separate 
> processors. I have tried using Ruby's threads but the code is very 
> database intensive and appears to block a lot so I do not see a speed 
> improvement.  The code is separated enough that I should be able to 
> cut the overall time significantly if I can get the 2 parts to run on 
> separate processors.  
>
> I am missing something stupid? Any thoughts?

I also had a hard time finding the reason for this, but it would
seem to be the main: MS Windows operating systems do not support
the fork() call.

I thought there might be a hack to emulate forking on Win32, like
Perl 5.6 (buggily) did, but all I could find was a paragraph in
the online docs saying, "fork is available on operating systems
which support it."

I did manage to find this in the Ruby FAQs.  It partially
addresses this.

http://www.rubygarden.org/iowa/faqtotum/abpj6eTY2skY/d/1.13.3.2.5

HTH,
Tim Hammerquist
-- 
It's astonishing how much trouble one can
get oneself into, if one works at it.
    -- Destruction, The Sandman