kqwait ☆

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Description:
Wait for events on files or directories on macOS

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: macos file-watcher kqueue cli automation developer-tools

Install: brew install kqwait

About:
Kqwait is a command-line utility that leverages macOS's native kqueue mechanism to monitor files or directories for changes. It efficiently blocks and waits for specific file system events, such as modifications or creations, without constant polling. This makes it an ideal tool for triggering automated scripts or build processes in response to file changes.

Key Features:

Uses macOS kqueue for efficient, low-overhead file monitoring
Waits for specific events on files or directories without polling
Simple command-line interface for easy integration into scripts
Supports filtering for specific event types

Use Cases:

Triggering build or compilation tasks when source files are modified
Automating script execution upon changes in configuration files
Developing live-reload development environments on macOS

Alternatives:

fswatch – fswatch is a multi-platform file change monitor that supports various backends, while kqwait is macOS-specific and focuses on a lightweight kqueue implementation.
inotify-tools – inotify-tools is the standard for Linux systems, whereas kqwait provides similar functionality specifically for macOS using its native kqueue API.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 11, 2025 6:17pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	8491596c