File: inotify.cpp Date: June 23, 2017 Author: Mayank Patel mayankmca90@gmail.com, 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.
- This code is meant to illustrate inotify usage, and not intended to be production ready. Exception and error handling is largely incomplete or missing.
- 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.
- 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