file changes

In the world of software development, or any field that involves editing files and needing immediate feedback on changes, manually rerunning commands can be a hassle. Fortunately, entr exists to streamline this process. Short for Event Notify Test Runner, entr is a simple yet powerful Unix utility that runs arbitrary commands when files change. It’s highly useful for tasks like auto-compiling code, refreshing applications, or running tests in real-time. In this blog post, we'll explore how to install entr, use it effectively in your workflows, and highlight some practical examples. For those using Debian, Ubuntu, or any derivatives, entr can be installed using the apt package manager.

Monitoring File Changes with inotifywait: An Essential Guide for System Administrators In the realm of system administration and software development, knowing exactly when and how files change is crucial. This can be pivotal for tasks such as automated backups, syncing files, or understanding the behavior of deployed applications. One of the most efficient tools available for Linux users to monitor file changes is inotifywait, which is part of the inotify-tools package. inotifywait is a command-line program allowing you to wait for changes to files using the Linux kernel's inotify feature. inotify provides a mechanism for monitoring filesystem events and inotifywait makes it accessible via a simple CLI interface.