fseventer

Download Application 505Kb (v2.6.6, February 2009)

• Observes filesystem changes using the same underlying API as Spotlight
• Provides a graphical representation of the file activity
• Example use could be to determine what files are changed via software installation, preferences, etc
• Requires admin access & will only work on Mac OS X 10.4+ i.e. “Tiger”, “Leopard”, or “Snow Leopard”

• 2.6.6
  • path and process filters can be exclude or include
  • can filter out invisible (DOT<name>) files
  • can filter processes based on which application is frontmost
  • Minor bug fixes
• 2.6.5 - Missing events bug fix (some events were quietly being ignored)
  • Cosmetic improvements - crisper icons in table, core animation in filter
  • Help now comments on Apple's fseventd (which has nothing to do with this app), and uninstalling
• 2.6.2 - Minor Bug fixes - removed noisy debug code
• 2.6 Filtering
  • Advanced filters (event, process, path, etc) can be applied to all views
  • Unified functionality into toolbar, with some nicer icons
  • Extra preference added to revert to old style of tree
• 2.5 Interface redux
  • Improved layout and clarity of tree
  • Fixed incomplete printing bug and other various minor bugs
• 2.2.2 Usability bug fixes
  • Donate window will NOT show once you've checked the donate box!
  • Sparkle update fixed (removes need to force-quit application to complete auto-update)
• 2.2 Bug fixes, Sparkle AppCasts updating support.
• 2.1 Leopard support - including XATTR fsevents and monitoring via official FSEVENT API. Also now able to save results as log file.
• 2.0 New Gui with table and inspector, can now track up to 10000 events, new experimental list of all open files
• 1.6 Universal binary, alternative method to monitor events that doesn't require spotlight
• 1.5 Printing, drag'n'drop, keyboard navigation, better display algorithm and improved tooltips
• 1.1 Minor bug fixes for when lots of events, GUI tweaks, and added help
• 1.0 Password only needed for installation, click files for info & double-click to open in finder, more preferences, minor bug fix in tree code
• 0.6 Add Unicode filenames, handling of resource-forks, and improved fading of old items
• 0.5 Initial public release

• First time it is run it will ask for your password so that it can set root permissions on it's internal helper tool (fetool) which is a version of gfslogger
• Pre 2.7.0 versions must be copied to a disk where root permissions can be set
• It will automatically drop events once its internal buffer is full - limit set in preferences (can increase to 10000)

• Multiple selection, drag select, in the tree view
• Keyboard support for home/end pageup/down, toggling between views, etc
• The timeline view
• The process view
• File reads (unlikely)

• fslogger - command line tool that subscribes to Mac OS X 10.4+ fsevents and displays file system changes
• gfslogger (DEADLINK) - opensource implementation of fslogger (which this application is based upon)