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sidebar_label: "Files and directories"
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# Files and directories


<img src="https://netdata.cloud/img/filesystem.svg" width="150"/>


Plugin: go.d.plugin
Module: filecheck

<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/maintained%20by-Netdata-%2300ab44" />

## Overview

This collector monitors the existence, last modification time, and size of arbitrary files and directories on the system.




This collector is supported on all platforms.

This collector supports collecting metrics from multiple instances of this integration, including remote instances.

This collector requires the DAC_READ_SEARCH capability when monitoring files not normally accessible to the Netdata user, but it is set automatically during installation, so no manual configuration is needed.


### Default Behavior

#### Auto-Detection

This integration doesn't support auto-detection.

#### Limits

The default configuration for this integration does not impose any limits on data collection.

#### Performance Impact

The default configuration for this integration is not expected to impose a significant performance impact on the system.


## Metrics

Metrics grouped by *scope*.

The scope defines the instance that the metric belongs to. An instance is uniquely identified by a set of labels.



### Per file

These metrics refer to the File.

Labels:

| Label      | Description     |
|:-----------|:----------------|
| file_path | File absolute path |

Metrics:

| Metric | Dimensions | Unit |
|:------|:----------|:----|
| filecheck.file_existence_status | exist, not_exist | status |
| filecheck.file_modification_time_ago | mtime_ago | seconds |
| filecheck.file_size_bytes | size | bytes |

### Per directory

These metrics refer to the Directory.

Labels:

| Label      | Description     |
|:-----------|:----------------|
| dir_path | Directory absolute path |

Metrics:

| Metric | Dimensions | Unit |
|:------|:----------|:----|
| filecheck.dir_existence_status | exist, not_exist | status |
| filecheck.dir_modification_time_ago | mtime_ago | seconds |
| filecheck.dir_size_bytes | size | bytes |
| filecheck.dir_files count | files | files |



## Alerts

There are no alerts configured by default for this integration.


## Setup

### Prerequisites

No action required.

### Configuration

#### File

The configuration file name for this integration is `go.d/filecheck.conf`.


You can edit the configuration file using the `edit-config` script from the
Netdata [config directory](/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/README.md#the-netdata-config-directory).

```bash
cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config go.d/filecheck.conf
```
#### Options

The following options can be defined globally: update_every, autodetection_retry.


<details open><summary>Config options</summary>

| Name | Description | Default | Required |
|:----|:-----------|:-------|:--------:|
| update_every | Data collection frequency. | 10 | no |
| autodetection_retry | Recheck interval in seconds. Zero means no recheck will be scheduled. | 0 | no |
| files | List of files to monitor. |  | yes |
| dirs | List of directories to monitor. |  | yes |
| discovery_every | Files and directories discovery interval. | 60 | no |

##### files

Files matching the selector will be monitored.

- Logic: (pattern1 OR pattern2) AND !(pattern3 or pattern4)
- Pattern syntax: [shell file name pattern](https://golang.org/pkg/path/filepath/#Match)
- Syntax:

```yaml
files:
  includes:
    - pattern1
    - pattern2
  excludes:
    - pattern3
    - pattern4
```


##### dirs

Directories matching the selector will be monitored.

- Logic: (pattern1 OR pattern2) AND !(pattern3 or pattern4)
- Pattern syntax: [shell file name pattern](https://golang.org/pkg/path/filepath/#Match)
- Syntax:

```yaml
dirs:
  includes:
    - pattern1
    - pattern2
  excludes:
    - pattern3
    - pattern4
```


</details>

#### Examples

##### Files

Files monitoring example configuration.

<details open><summary>Config</summary>

```yaml
jobs:
  - name: files_example
    files:
      include:
        - '/path/to/file1'
        - '/path/to/file2'
        - '/path/to/*.log'

```
</details>

##### Directories

Directories monitoring example configuration.

<details open><summary>Config</summary>

```yaml
jobs:
  - name: files_example
    dirs:
      collect_dir_size: no
      include:
        - '/path/to/dir1'
        - '/path/to/dir2'
        - '/path/to/dir3*'

```
</details>



## Troubleshooting

### Debug Mode

To troubleshoot issues with the `filecheck` collector, run the `go.d.plugin` with the debug option enabled. The output
should give you clues as to why the collector isn't working.

- Navigate to the `plugins.d` directory, usually at `/usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/`. If that's not the case on
  your system, open `netdata.conf` and look for the `plugins` setting under `[directories]`.

  ```bash
  cd /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/
  ```

- Switch to the `netdata` user.

  ```bash
  sudo -u netdata -s
  ```

- Run the `go.d.plugin` to debug the collector:

  ```bash
  ./go.d.plugin -d -m filecheck
  ```


