Inotify is a file notification system for the Linux kernel. As of 2.6.13-rc3, it is included in the stable Linux kernel series. You can learn more about inotify here. Today all Linux distributions include inotify support in their shipped kernels.
Beagle does not require inotify, but it is strongly recommended as it will greatly improve your Beagle experience. Without it, Beagle will not automatically detect all changes to your home directory and index the data in a timely fashion. Beagle will also have to continuously recrawl your file system for changes, which can degrade system performance.
Support for older distributions
Below are packaged kernels for some older distributions that include inotify support. These are fading fast: your best bet is just to update to a newer version of your favorite Linux distro.
Fedora Core 2, 3, and 4
Kernel packages which include inotify and other desktop enhancements are available for Fedora Core 2, 3, and 4 here.
Building from Sources
Inotify is now merged into the upstream Linux kernel. You no longer need explicit inotify patches, although they are available.
Make sure you enable (set to 'y') the option "Inotify file change notification support (INOTIFY)" under "File Systems". This is the CONFIG_INOTIFY option. Also ensure extended attributes are enabled for your chosen filesystem(s). e.g. EXT2_FS_XATTR, EXT3_FS_XATTR, REISERFS_FS_XATTR and so on.
The build your kernel:
$ make $ make modules_install $ make install
