asyncinotify
'A simple optionally-async python inotify library, focused on simplicity of use and operation, and leveraging modern Python features
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Zero dependencies, active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, and a clean async API make it the right choice for any Python project needing inotify on Linux. The MPL-2.0 license is permissive for library use. Install friction is negligible and the codebase is intentionally simple to understand and modify.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Linux with inotify support; FreeBSD 15+ and z/OS 2.5+ have partial/experimental support.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with zero runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained as of 2026-05-28 with regular releases.
License · maintenance · safety
MPL-2.0 (copyleft) — MPL-2.0 copyleft license explicitly compatible with secondary licenses; you can use it as a library without license concerns unless your own license is incompatible.
last release 2026-04-13 (123 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-28 · 47 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 582,656 downloads/mo, #5,899 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install asyncinotify
from asyncinotify import Inotify, Mask
import asyncio
async def main():
with Inotify() as inotify:
inotify.add_watch('/tmp', Mask.CREATE | Mask.DELETE)
async for event in inotify:
print(event)
asyncio.run(main())- Whether ctypes-based inotify binding has performance overhead compared to C extensions in high-event-rate scenarios.
- Exact scope of FreeBSD 15+ and z/OS 2.5+ support and whether they are tested in CI.
What it is and what it does
asyncinotify wraps the Linux inotify API into a straightforward async/sync Python interface using ctypes, with no external C dependencies. It exposes filesystem events (file creation, deletion, modification, attribute changes, moves) through an async iterator or synchronous polling, with paths represented as pathlib Path objects and event masks as Python IntFlags for readable introspection.
The library prioritizes simplicity and Pythonic design over feature bloat: the core Inotify class handles the essential watch-and-iterate pattern, while optional features like recursive directory watching are implemented as separate classes. It caches events in bulk for minor performance gains and supports Python 3.6 through 3.14, making it suitable for long-running daemons, build tools, and development utilities that need to react to filesystem changes.
Use it for
- Monitor a directory for new files and trigger processing pipelines when they arrive.
- Watch configuration files and reload application state when they change.
- Implement a file-based job queue or watch folder system.
- Build development tools that rebuild or restart services on source code changes.
- Track filesystem activity for audit or debugging purposes in long-running services.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Zero dependencies, active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, and a clean async API make it the right choice for any Python project needing inotify on Linux. The MPL-2.0 license is permissive for library use. Install friction is negligible and the codebase is intentionally simple to understand and modify.
Install
asyncinotify on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with zero runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as of 2026-05-28 with regular releases.
Requires Linux with inotify support; FreeBSD 15+ and z/OS 2.5+ have partial/experimental support.
License in practice
MPL-2.0 copyleft license explicitly compatible with secondary licenses; you can use it as a library without license concerns unless your own license is incompatible.
Quickstart
pip install asyncinotify
from asyncinotify import Inotify, Mask
import asyncio
async def main():
with Inotify() as inotify:
inotify.add_watch('/tmp', Mask.CREATE | Mask.DELETE)
async for event in inotify:
print(event)
asyncio.run(main())Verify before relying
- Whether ctypes-based inotify binding has performance overhead compared to C extensions in high-event-rate scenarios.
- Exact scope of FreeBSD 15+ and z/OS 2.5+ support and whether they are tested in CI.
Package facts
| License | MPL-2.0 copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <4,>=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 123 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 582,656 / month, #5,899 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 6 - MatureFramework :: AsyncIOIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: POSIX :: BSD :: FreeBSDOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: asyncinotify-4.4.4-py3-none-any.whl
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See also inotify-simple · pyinotify · inotify · watchdog · watchgod · pywatchman · watchfiles · django-watchfiles · pyobjc-framework-FSEvents · pytest-watcher