Watchfiles does not report changes made by a different user in a directory

[pallavg]

I launch watchfiles to observe a directory path /a/b/c as userA. If userA adds/removes a file in /a/b/c, watchfiles can detect changes just fine. However, if userB puts a file in /a/b/c, watchfiles just ignores those. Is there some setting/mechanism thereby which, I can tell watchfiles to detect any changes irrespective of which user added/removed files? Thanks.

[samuelcolvin]

It would be helpful if you could include which OS you're using and any other details.

It might be fixed by setting force_polling.

[pallavg]

1. I'm using SUSE Enterprise LInux version 12.

2. I instantiate the watcher as follows. I am not doing anything special.

 class MyFilter(DefaultFilter):
     allowed_extensions = '.txt', '.txt.gz'
     def __call__(self, change: Change, path: str) -> bool:
         return super().__call__(change, path) and path.endswith(self.allowed_extensions) and change == Change.added  

def _process(changes):
     """Process added  files."""

     for _, spofi_file in changes:
         log.info('Process %s', spofi_file)

def main()
    ....
    _incoming_dir = Path('/a/b/c').resolve()
    run_process(_incoming_dir, target=None, callback=_process, watch_filter=MyFilter(), step=30000)

[samuelcolvin]

Is it fixed by using force polling.

[pallavg]

Yes, it seems be working ok if I do

os.environ['WATCHFILES_FORCE_POLLING'] = '1'

run_process(...)

[samuelcolvin]

Okay, well then it's a limitation of either the notify crate, or more likely the OS notifications system.

Happy to accept a PR to add force_polling: bool = False to run_process.