Summary
Optional enhancement: Add real-time file system monitoring on macOS using FSEvents, so the index can be updated when files change on disk without relying only on --index-from-file or manual re-crawl. This would bring macOS closer to Windows USN Journal behavior (real-time index updates when the monitored volume changes).
Current state
- Windows: USN Journal provides real-time monitoring; index stays in sync as files are created, modified, or deleted.
- macOS: No real-time monitoring; index is populated via folder crawl or
--index-from-file and does not auto-update when the filesystem changes.
Goal
- Use FSEvents (or equivalent macOS API) to watch the indexed volume/folder.
- On create/modify/delete events, update the in-memory index (add, update, or remove entries) so search results reflect current disk state without a full re-crawl.
- Design should align with existing index-maintenance patterns where possible; platform-specific code isolated.
Non-goals (for this issue)
- Changing Windows USN behavior.
- Linux inotify/FANOTIFY (separate future work).
- Replacing
--index-from-file; it remains valid for one-off or batch indexing.
References
- Feature parity note:
internal-docs/archive/PHASE_2_FEATURE_PARITY_GOAL.md — macOS currently “Real-time monitoring: ❌ Not supported”.
- Optional Phase 3 / future enhancement mentioned in related archive docs.
Priority: Optional / future; no blocking dependency.
Summary
Optional enhancement: Add real-time file system monitoring on macOS using FSEvents, so the index can be updated when files change on disk without relying only on
--index-from-fileor manual re-crawl. This would bring macOS closer to Windows USN Journal behavior (real-time index updates when the monitored volume changes).Current state
--index-from-fileand does not auto-update when the filesystem changes.Goal
Non-goals (for this issue)
--index-from-file; it remains valid for one-off or batch indexing.References
internal-docs/archive/PHASE_2_FEATURE_PARITY_GOAL.md— macOS currently “Real-time monitoring: ❌ Not supported”.Priority: Optional / future; no blocking dependency.