detecting newly created folders/files on local file system

[aryan_]

Hi All,

Using C++, I want to process sub-folders on my home folder sequentially each with a special naming format and containing some binary files in it:

1/
2/
3/
4/
5/
6/
...

Give above folders, I will process files in 1/ at first, 2/ at second, 3/ at third, and so on.

For some n/ folder, if I realize that n/ actually does not exist in local file system, I do not want to wait for it. Hence I will keep processing (n+1)/ folder, and so on.

However, when processing some (n+m)/ folder, previously not processed n/ folder may have been created on local file system. In this case, I do not want to miss processing it, but somehow detect its creation and process it. After processing n/ folder, I want to continue from (n+m+1)/.

How can I do this in Linux ?

What kind of architecture should I use ?

Thanks.

[hazel]

There's a set of functions called inotify that will do that for you. It's actually something that the kernel does as a service to processes that ask for it.

[aryan_]

There's a set of functions called inotify that will do that for you. It's actually something that the kernel does as a service to processes that ask for it.

What is the difference between FAM and inotify ?

Which one should I prefer ?

[hazel]

FAM is a daemon that provides notify services for programs in general. I believe it uses inotify to get the information. If a program uses inotify directly, you don't need to have FAM running. I can't tell you which one is better because I've never used either. Hopefully someone else can take this thread over.