Move file to another directory once it is done transferring

Question

I have a video encoding script that I would like to run as soon as a file is moved into a specific directory.

If I use something like inotify, how do I ensure that the file isn't encoded until it is done moving?

I've considered doing something like:

• Copy (rsync) file into a temporary directory.
• Once finished, move (simple 'mv') into the encode directory.
• Have my script monitor the encode directory.

However, how do I get step #2 to work properly and only run once #1 is complete?

I am using Ubuntu Server 11.10 and I'd like to use bash, but I could be persuaded to use Python if that'd simplify issues.

I am not "downloading" files into this directory, per se; rather I will be using rsync the vast majority of the time.

Additionally, this Ubuntu Server is running on a VM.

I have my main file storage mounted via NFS from a FreeBSD server.

Answer 1

The easiest way would be to download using a program like wget or curl that doesn't exit until the file is done downloading. Failing that, I'm not sure if it's the absolute best solution, but you could use a script that loops, checking whether the file is open using lsof and grep:

while lsof | grep /path/to/download >/dev/null; do sleep 5; done
mv /path/to/download /path/to/encode/dir