inotifywait

Inotifywait is a command line tool that allows you to monitor file system events on Linux systems. It is a part of the inotify-tools package, which is a set of utilities built around the Linux kernel inotify feature.

This tool uses the Linux kernel inotify API to efficiently detect any changes happening to directories or files in real-time. It can watch for events such as file creation, modification, deletion, and attribute changes.

Inotifywait is highly versatile, as you can specify the events you want to monitor, the directories or files to watch, and the actions to perform when events occur. You can also recursively monitor subdirectories and ignore certain files or patterns with regular expressions.

The tool provides detailed information about each event, including the path, name, file type, and associated events. It also displays timestamps and allows you to customize the format of the output.

You can use inotifywait for various purposes, such as automating tasks based on file changes, synchronization between different systems, monitoring log files, or triggering actions when specific events occur.

Inotifywait runs as a single command, making it easy to integrate into scripts and workflows. It has options to continuously monitor events or exit after the first event occurs.

It is highly efficient and lightweight, consuming minimal system resources while providing real-time monitoring capabilities.

Inotifywait is available as open-source software, allowing you to customize and extend its functionalities according to your needs.

Overall, inotifywait is a powerful tool that enables developers and system administrators to monitor file system events efficiently and automate tasks based on changes happening in the file system.