# Install dwatch with Homebrew, MacPorts Watch programs and perform actions based on a configuration file. Version 0.1.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dwatch ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dwatch ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install dwatch ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/dwatch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dwatch - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.1.1 - **Source summary:** Watch programs and perform actions based on a configuration file - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - dwatch (cli) - dwatch (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.1.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://siag.nu/dwatch/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Dwatch, short for Daemon Watch, is a small Unix monitoring tool by Ulric Eriksson. Its official page says it watches other programs and performs actions from conditions in a configuration file, and that it is meant to be run periodically from cron. ### Project history The official changelog records Dwatch's creation on 2001-08-20 to keep Pen, another Siag project, running on siag.nu, with release 0.1.0 published at the same time. The project page is deliberately old-school Unix: make, make install, a sample dwatch.conf, and notes that Linux and Solaris were known to work. ### Adoption history Public adoption evidence is thin. The official page links a source download and an external SUSE RPM, while the batch input lists Homebrew and MacPorts formulae, suggesting survival mostly as a niche packaged Unix utility rather than a widely discussed monitoring system. ### How it is used The sample configuration shows directive, argument, and command columns, including examples that restart Pen when a process or TCP check is not satisfied. The intended workflow is to let cron invoke dwatch regularly, with dwatch deciding whether to run recovery commands. ### Why package nerds care Dwatch is package-nerd interesting mostly as a fossil of early-2000s Unix service babysitting: a tiny cron-friendly daemon watcher from the same ecosystem as Pen and Siag Office, before modern supervisors and service managers became the default answer. ### Timeline - 2001: Dwatch created to keep Pen running on siag.nu; release 0.1.0 published. - 2001: Official page dated August 2001 documents Linux and Solaris support. - 2026: Batch input lists Homebrew and MacPorts packaging. ### Related projects - The official page ties Dwatch directly to Pen, using Pen as the example service to restart. In package-manager terms it sits near cron, watchdog scripts, service supervisors, and small Unix monitoring tools. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dwatch - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - dwatch: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/dwatch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [collectd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/collectd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, monitoring, system. - [uptimed](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/uptimed/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, monitoring, system. - [asitop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/asitop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [ctop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ctop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [duf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/duf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [gotop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gotop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [htop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/htop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [hwatch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hwatch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, system. - [direvent](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/direvent/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, daemon, file, monitoring, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dwatch.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dwatch.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph