Arch Linux

Bailando

Member

From: Hungary

Registered: 2013-08-19

Posts: 133

Website

How can I watch if a given file is modified?

I would like to watch if a given file is modified and then run a script automatically if any modification occurs. I found the command http://linux.die.net/man/1/inotifywatch but it only collects the statistics and print it out if the interrupt signal is received (Ctrl + C or time elasped).

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,426

Website

Re: How can I watch if a given file is modified?

No, look at the EVENTS section of the man page: inotifywait can be run in a while loop and will trigger an action if, for example, attrib is set.

---

Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: How can I watch if a given file is modified?

What exactly do you want to do? Maybe e.g. an hourly rsync would be enough?

Dyspareunia

Member

Registered: 2014-08-10

Posts: 20

Re: How can I watch if a given file is modified?

I've used incron for this in the past, maybe that would suit your needs a bit better?

Careful tho... I've messed my system up pretty good a few times with this tool...

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: How can I watch if a given file is modified?

I'd recommend incron too, and I haven't messed up my system with it ever.

emeres

Member

Registered: 2013-10-08

Posts: 1,570

Re: How can I watch if a given file is modified?

For something more complex with logging, you may want to look into systemd paths directives PathChanged and PathModified.

man systemd.path