INOTIFY_ADD_WATCH(2) Linux Programmer's Manual INOTIFY_ADD_WATCH(2)NAMEinotify_add_watch - add a watch to an initialized inotify instance
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/inotify.h>
int inotify_add_watch(int fd, const char *pathname, uint32_t mask);
DESCRIPTIONinotify_add_watch() adds a new watch, or modifies an existing watch,
for the file whose location is specified in pathname; the caller must
have read permission for this file. The fd argument is a file descrip‐
tor referring to the inotify instance whose watch list is to be modi‐
fied. The events to be monitored for pathname are specified in the
mask bit-mask argument. See inotify(7) for a description of the bits
that can be set in mask.
A successful call to inotify_add_watch() returns the unique watch
descriptor associated with pathname for this inotify instance. If
pathname was not previously being watched by this inotify instance,
then the watch descriptor is newly allocated. If pathname was already
being watched, then the descriptor for the existing watch is returned.
The watch descriptor is returned by later read(2)s from the inotify
file descriptor. These reads fetch inotify_event structures indicating
file system events; the returned watch descriptor identifies the object
for which the event occurred.
RETURN VALUE
On success, inotify_add_watch() returns a non-negative watch descrip‐
tor. On error -1 is returned and errno is set appropriately.
ERRORS
EACCESS
Read access to the given file is not permitted.
EBADF The given file descriptor is not valid.
EFAULT pathname points outside of the process's accessible address
space.
EINVAL The given event mask contains no legal events; or fd is not an
inotify file descriptor.
ENOMEM Insufficient kernel memory was available.
ENOSPC The user limit on the total number of inotify watches was
reached or the kernel failed to allocate a needed resource.
HISTORY
Inotify was merged into the 2.6.13 Linux kernel.
CONFORMING TO
This system call is Linux specific.
SEE ALSOinotify_init(2), inotify_rm_watch(2), inotify(7).
Linux 2006-02-07 INOTIFY_ADD_WATCH(2)
