Subj : Re: Idea: Filesystem signals
To   : comp.os.linux
From : adams_forum
Date : Sat Aug 21 2004 06:53 pm

> > Some file managers do reflect the changes automatically; but it's my
> > guess that these programs continually poll the currently displayed
> > directory every second or so to see whether it has changed.
> 
> Most of them use famd, the File Alteration Monitor Daemon.

Cool!  Sorry, I didn't know about famd.  It seems like it doesn't do
polling, either - could it be that UNIX-based systems are the only
ones to handle file refreshing properly?

I'll have to remember to submit bug reports next time I use a program
which doesn't automatically refresh its file listing.

> > I'm wondering what people think of following idea.  Whenever a file
> > in the computer's filesystem is changed, a signal is sent to all
> > processes.  Maybe best is for the signal to include (somehow) the
> > specific file that was modified.
> 
> Crap. I don't want to slow down each and every process in my computer
> whenever any file changes. Most processes don't even want to be
> notified of this.

That's why I said nothing would happen unless the process provided a
signal handler.

.