---
name: "file-event"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "upstart"
version: "1.11-5"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/file-event"
---

# file-event(7)

event signalling that a file has changed

## NAME

file - event signalling that a file has changed

## SYNOPSIS

**file** **FILE=***PATH* **EVENT=***TYPE* *\[***MATCH=***PATH***\]**

## DESCRIPTION

The **file** event is generated by the [**upstart-file-bridge**(8)](/upstart-file-bridge/8.md) daemon when a file whose details match the file event condition and environment specified in a job's **start on** or **stop on** stanza is modified.

The **FILE** and **EVENT** environment variables will be set to the same values as specified by the job. Note that if the job did not specify **EVENT** this will still be set to one of **create**,  **modify** or  **delete** depending on what type of file event caused the event to be emitted.

If the job specified a glob pattern in the file part of the **FILE** environment variable, the event will contain the **MATCH** environment variable which will be set to the full path of the file that matched the pattern in **FILE**.

## NOTES

- •

  When specifying a path that contains spaces, ensure that the path is quoted.

- •

  **FILE** values specified by jobs are not canonicalised; this cannot be done reliably as they may not exist so cannot be fully resolved.

- •

  If you wish to match on **MATCH**,  ensure that **FILE** does not contain multiple consecutive runs of slashes since otherwise your job will find it difficult to perform such a match.

## EXAMPLES

- start on file FILE=/run/app.pid EVENT=create

  Event emitted when file is created.

- start on file FILE=/run/app.pid

  Event emitted when file is created, modified or deleted.

- start on file FILE=/var/log/

  Event emitted when files within a directory are created, modified or deleted.

- start on file FILE=/var/crash/\*.crash EVENT=create

  Event emitted when files that match a glob pattern are created in the indicated directory.

- start on file FILE="/this/path/contains whitespace.txt"

  Specify a file that contains a space character.

## AUTHOR

Written by James Hunt \<**james.hunt@canonical.com**\>

## BUGS

Report bugs at  \<**https://launchpad.net/upstart/+bugs**\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2013 Canonical Ltd.

This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

## SEE ALSO

[**init**(5)](/init/5.md) [**init**(8)](/init/8.md) [**upstart-file-bridge**(8)](/upstart-file-bridge/8.md)