Inotify linux watching subdirectories

Question

is it possible to watch directories in this pattern /storage/data/usernames/Download/ -> /storage/data/*/Download/ I need to watch if changes are made in Download folder of each user. Maybe i need to create list of all paths, put it in array and with loop start inotify processes on each folder, but this may be to heavy for system.

Answer 1

Yes, it is easily possible.

folders are created dynamically that's why i want to skip username part and watch all folders with name Download.

fluffy is the right tool for it.

1. Open a terminal:1, run fluffy
2. In another terminal:2, fluffyctl -W /storage/data/*/Download
3. You must be able to see events on terminal:1 where fluffy was invoked.
4. When ever you add a new user but wish not to reexecute fluffy to update the path, run the same watch command again fluffyctl -W /storage/data/*/Download after you have added a new user; picks up the new user directory with the same settings/choices. If you have removed any user, don't have to bother, fluffy takes care of releasing the resources by itself.

Commands for your use case:

dir contents -

root@six-k:/opt# ls /opt/*/d1
/opt/d1/d1:
fd1

/opt/dd2/d1:
fd1

/opt/dd3/d1:

invoke fluffy -

root@six-k:/home/lab/fluffy# fluffy

control/manage fluffy -

root@six-k:/opt# fluffyctl -W /opt/*/d1

events -

root@six-k:/home/lab/fluffy# fluffy

event:  ACCESS, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/d1/d1

event:  CLOSE_NOWRITE, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/d1/d1

event:  ACCESS, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/dd2/d1

event:  CLOSE_NOWRITE, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/dd2/d1

event:  ACCESS, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/dd3/d1

event:  CLOSE_NOWRITE, ISDIR, 
path:   /opt/dd3/d1

Note: inotifywait is not elegant, it is buggy and reports false event paths. I do not wish to review inotifytools here, but if you are curious to know what is wrong with it, watch a directory tree and perform renames/moves with in it. Later do an ls on that renamed directory, see what path it reports!