dyson-ido / directory-watcher

C++ Directory Watcher

Directory-Watcher

File: inotify.cpp Date: June 23, 2017 Author: Mayank Patel [email protected], on the shoulders of many others

This is a simple inotify sample program monitoring changes to "./Directory-Watcher" directory (create ./Directory-Watcher beforehand) Recursive monitoring of file and directory create and delete events is implemented, but monitoring pre-existing "./Directory-Watcher" subfolders is not. A C++ class containing a couple of maps is used to simplify monitoring. The Watch class is minimally integrated, so as to leave the main inotify code easily recognizeable.

N.B.

1. This code is meant to illustrate inotify usage, and not intended to be production ready. Exception and error handling is largely incomplete or missing.
2. inotify has a fundamental flaw for which there is no real solution: if subdirectories are created too quickly, create events will be lost, resulting in those subdirectories (as well as their children) going unwatched.
3. fanotify, available in newer kernels, can monitor entire volumes, and is often a better solution.

This code sample is released into the Public Domain.

To compile: $ g++ inotify.cpp -o inotify

To run: $ ./inotify

To exit: control-C