---
id: pyinotify
version: "0.9.6"
license: MIT License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# pyinotify — Linux filesystem events monitoring

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 864.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Pyinotify is a Python wrapper around the Linux inotify kernel subsystem, which monitors filesystem events at the OS level. It allows you to watch directories or files and receive notifications when they are created, modified, deleted, or accessed, then execute custom Python callbacks in response. The package has no external runtime dependencies and works by binding directly to inotify system calls.

The library is stable and production-ready but has not been updated since 2015. It is Linux-only and requires kernel support for inotify. The dormant maintenance status and age mean you should evaluate whether it still meets your needs or whether a more actively maintained alternative would be safer for new projects.

Use it for:

- Build a file watcher that triggers tests or rebuilds when source code changes.
- Monitor a log directory and process new log files as they are written.
- Implement a backup system that detects file modifications and syncs changes to remote storage.
- Create a configuration hot-reload mechanism that restarts services when config files change.
- Track file deletions in a directory to maintain an audit log of removed items.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Monitors Linux filesystem events (file creation, modification, deletion) and triggers callbacks when they occur, allowing Python programs to react to filesystem changes in real time.

Yes, if you are on Linux and need simple, low-overhead filesystem event monitoring for an existing or legacy project. No, if you are starting a new project—the package has been unmaintained since 2015 and is marked dormant; you should evaluate actively maintained alternatives. The MIT license carries no restrictions, but the age and lack of updates pose a maintenance risk.

## Install

pip install pyinotify
uv add pyinotify
poetry add pyinotify

## Installing pyinotify

Before you install: High install friction: the package has not been updated since 2015 and is marked dormant. It carries no runtime dependencies but requires Linux ≥ 2.6.13 and inotify kernel support, which limits portability. The archived repository and age suggest limited ongoing maintenance.

License in practice: MIT License (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution. You may use this package freely in commercial or proprietary projects without licensing obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install pyinotify

import pyinotify

wm = pyinotify.WatchManager()
notifier = pyinotify.Notifier(wm, pyinotify.PrintAllEvents())
wm.add_watch('/path/to/watch', pyinotify.ALL_EVENTS)
notifier.loop()

Requires Linux with inotify support (kernel ≥ 2.6.13); will not work on macOS, Windows, or non-Linux systems. Python version support is unspecified in current metadata.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (3.10+) despite classifiers only listing up to 3.4.
- Whether the dormant status and 2015 release date indicate unresolved bugs or compatibility issues with current Linux kernels.
- Whether alternative, actively maintained filesystem monitoring libraries are recommended for new projects.

## Package facts

- License: MIT License (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 864.1K/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

linux file system monitoring, filesystem event watcher, inotify python wrapper, file change detection, directory watch events, real-time file monitoring, filesystem change notifications, linux-only, dormant-maintenance, filesystem-events

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pyinotify) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pyinotify/)