---
name: "innwatch"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "inn"
version: "2.7.4-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/innwatch"
---

# innwatch(8)

Monitor the state of INN and the system

## NAME

innwatch - Monitor the state of INN and the system

## SYNOPSIS

**innwatch** \[**-f** *ctlfile*\] \[**-i** *seconds*\] \[**-l** *logfile*\] \[**-t** *seconds*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**innwatch** is normally started and stopped by **rc.news** when *doinnwatch* is set to true in *inn.conf*.  Every *innwatchsleeptime* seconds, as set in *inn.conf* as well as other parameters tuning its behaviour, **innwatch** examines the load average, and the number of free blocks and inodes on the spool partition, as described by its control file, *innwatch.ctl* in *pathetc*.

If the load gets too high, or the disk gets too full, it throttles the server.  When the condition restores, it unblocks the server. In addition, on each pass through the loop, it will check the logfile *pathlog*/news.crit to see if it has been modified, and send mail to the news administrator if so.

Upon receipt of an interrupt signal (SIGINT), **innwatch** will report its status in the file *innwatch.status* in *pathrun*.

## OPTIONS

- **-f** *file*

  Specify the control file to use, other than the default of *innwatch.ctl* in *pathetc*.

- **-i** *seconds*

  With this option, **innwatch** has an initial sleep of *seconds* seconds at startup.  This is useful when **innwatch** is started at the same time as INN, so that it can wait a little before beginning performing its checks.

- **-l** *logfile*

  Specify a log file to watch, other than the default of *news.crit*.

- **-t** *seconds*

  Specify the period in seconds between checks, to override the value set in *inn.conf*.

## HISTORY

Written by Mike Cooper \<mcooper@usc.edu\>, with modifications by \<kre@munnari.oz.au\>, Steve Groom \<stevo@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov\> and Christophe Wolfhugel \<wolf@pasteur.fr\>.  Converted to POD by Julien Elie.

## SEE ALSO

[inn.conf(5)](/inn.conf/5.md), [innwatch.ctl(5)](/innwatch.ctl/5.md), [newslog(5)](/newslog/5.md), [rc.news(8)](/rc.news/8.md).