Stream paths
Print changed paths as they arrive, or use null-delimited output for shell-safe pipelines.
One interface, native monitors
Use the same command line on build scripts, editors, automation, and
developer workflows while fswatch chooses the platform
monitor that fits the host.
macOS
FSEvents, kqueue
Fast recursive directory monitoring with native file system event support.
Linux
inotify, fanotify
Default inotify support plus opt-in fanotify process attribution in recent releases.
BSD
kqueue
Event notifications through the native kqueue interface used by FreeBSD and other BSD systems.
Solaris and Illumos
File Events Notification
Native file event monitoring through the Solaris FEN API and derivatives.
Windows
ReadDirectoryChangesW
Directory change monitoring through the Windows file notification API.
Portable fallback
poll monitor
A stat-based monitor for environments without a dedicated event API.
Batch events
Use count mode to rebuild, rerun tests, or trigger one command per change batch.
Filter noise
Use legacy filters, conjunctive include-minus-exclude filters, event filters, or traversal pruning before your automation sees noise.
Quick start
Install from your package manager when available, or build a release tarball when you need full control over the target system.
Homebrew
MacPorts
FreeBSD pkg
Release tarball
$ brew install fswatch
$ fswatch -r ~/project
/Users/me/project/src/main.cpp
/Users/me/project/include/main.hppCurrent release documentation
Read the 1.20.1 manual from the GitHub release assets, or browse the release tag for source documentation.
Project source
Report issues, read release notes, and inspect the C, C++, and command-line implementation on GitHub.