monitoring file changes c++ linux

When you use inotify, you do not require to poll for all files to check if there are changes. You get a callback system that notifies you when a watched file or directory got changed.

The kernel/filesystem already has this information, so the resource/CPU usage is not just moved to another application, it is actually reduced.

Monitor file system activity with inotify provides more details why to use inotify, shows its basic usage and helps you set it up.

http://linux.die.net/man/7/inotify this should help you to get rid of the problem you facing!