watch ☆

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Description:
Executes a program periodically, showing output fullscreen

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: monitoring cli terminal system-utility automation

Install: brew install watch

About:
The 'watch' command executes a specified program or command repeatedly at a defined interval and displays the output in a full-screen terminal view. It is part of the procps-ng suite and provides a real-time, continuously updating view of command output. This is invaluable for monitoring system metrics, log files, or any dynamic data without manual refreshes.

Key Features:

Real-time full-screen output of any command
Configurable update interval (-n flag)
Highlighting of changes between updates (-d flag)
Standard terminal navigation and process control (quit with 'q')

Use Cases:

Monitoring system resource usage (e.g., 'watch df', 'watch free -m')
Observing log file changes or application status in real-time
Tracking long-running command or script progress

Alternatives:

tmux – A full terminal multiplexer that can run commands in split panes, but requires manual refresh or scripting to replicate 'watch' behavior.
entr – Executes commands when files change, ideal for build automation, whereas 'watch' runs on a fixed time interval.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 15, 2025 4:29pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	60d1cdab
Dec 26, 2024 6:42pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	4ef95c9b