inotify_add_watch(2) System Calls Manual inotify_add_watch(2)
NAME
inotify_add_watch - add a watch to an initialized inotify instance
LIBRARY
Standard C library (libc, -lc)
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/inotify.h>
int inotify_add_watch(int fd, const char *pathname, uint32_t mask);
DESCRIPTION
inotify_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 a unique watch de-
scriptor for this inotify instance, for the filesystem object (inode)
that corresponds to pathname. If the filesystem object was not previ-
ously being watched by this inotify instance, then the watch descriptor
is newly allocated. If the filesystem object was already being watched
(perhaps via a different link to the same object), 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 (see ino-
tify(7)) indicating filesystem events; the watch descriptor inside this
structure identifies the object for which the event occurred.
RETURN VALUE
On success, inotify_add_watch() returns a watch descriptor (a nonnega-
tive integer). On error, -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate
the error.
ERRORS
EACCES Read access to the given file is not permitted.
EBADF The given file descriptor is not valid.
EEXIST mask contains IN_MASK_CREATE and pathname refers to a file al-
ready being watched by the same fd.
EFAULT pathname points outside of the process's accessible address
space.
EINVAL The given event mask contains no valid events; or mask contains
both IN_MASK_ADD and IN_MASK_CREATE; or fd is not an inotify
file descriptor.
ENAMETOOLONG
pathname is too long.
ENOENT A directory component in pathname does not exist or is a dan-
gling symbolic link.
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.
ENOTDIR
mask contains IN_ONLYDIR and pathname is not a directory.
STANDARDS
Linux.
HISTORY
Linux 2.6.13.
EXAMPLES
See inotify(7).
SEE ALSO
inotify_init(2), inotify_rm_watch(2), inotify(7)
Linux man-pages 6.7 2023-10-31 inotify_add_watch(2)
Generated by dwww version 1.16 on Tue Dec 16 14:44:09 CET 2025.