Python code to find all newly created, modified and deleted files in all the directories/sub-directories starting from / directory

Question

I know how to list all subdirectories and files in a directory tree. But I am looking for way to list all newly created files, modified and (if possible) deleted files in all the directories in a directory tree starting from the root directory.

Answer 1

You could find all files created or modified in the last half-hour by looking at the "mtime" of each file:

import os
import datetime as dt

now = dt.datetime.now()
ago = now-dt.timedelta(minutes=30)

for root, dirs,files in os.walk('.'):  
    for fname in files:
        path = os.path.join(root, fname)
        st = os.stat(path)    
        mtime = dt.datetime.fromtimestamp(st.st_mtime)
        if mtime > ago:
            print('%s modified %s'%(path, mtime))

To generate a list of deleted files, you'd also have to have a list of files 30 minutes ago.

---

A more robust alternative is to use a revision control system like git. Making a commit of all the files in the directory is like making a snapshot. Then the command

git status -s

would list all files that have changed since the last commit. This will list files that have been deleted too.

Answer 2

from tempfile import mkstemp
import shutil
import os
import datetime as dt
import sys


# gets the time frame we are going to look back and builds a placeholder list to passover the info from our mtime to slay
now=dt.datetime.now()
ago=now-dt.timedelta(minutes=480)
passover=[]

# the '.' is the directory we want to look in leave it to '.' if you want to search the directory the file currently resides in
for root,dirs,files in os.walk('.'):
    for fname in files:
        path=os.path.join(root,fname)
        st=os.stat(path)
        mtime=dt.datetime.fromtimestamp(st.st_mtime)
        if mtime>ago:
            passover.append(path)


def slay(file_path, pattern, subst):
    #Create temp file
    fh, abs_path = mkstemp()
    with open(abs_path,'w') as new_file:
        with open(file_path) as old_file:
            for line in old_file:
                new_file.write(line.replace(pattern, subst))
    old_file.close()
    #Remove original file
    os.remove(file_path)
    #Move new file
    try:
        shutil.move(abs_path, file_path)
    except WindowsError:
        pass

#we pass the passover list to the slay command in a for loop in order to do muiltple replaces in those files.
for i in passover:
    slay(i,"String1","String2")

Answer 3

Take a look at "man find"

create a temp file to compare

example:

find / -type f -newerB tempFile

some part of the man find

-newerXY reference
          Compares  the  timestamp of the current file with reference.  The reference argument is normally the name of a file (and one
          of its timestamps is used for the comparison) but it may also be a string describing an absolute time.  X and Y  are  place‐
          holders for other letters, and these letters select which time belonging to how reference is used for the comparison.

          a   The access time of the file reference
          B   The birth time of the file reference
          c   The inode status change time of reference
          m   The modification time of the file reference
          t   reference is interpreted directly as a time