Biome 1.0.0 File‑Watcher Limitation on Windows: Selecting a Compatible Watcher

Background

Biome 1.0.0 introduced the --watch flag to automatically re‑run linting when source files change. On Windows the default watcher is chokidar, which has documented limitations on network drives and certain file systems, causing the flag to silently fail. The Biome team has acknowledged the issue but has not yet released an official Windows‑compatible watcher implementation.

Goal

Determine how to enable reliable automatic linting on Windows without resorting to external scripts, and identify the best watcher library or configuration to adopt.

Unresolved Decision

Which watcher implementation should be adopted for Biome on Windows so that --watch functions consistently across all file systems?

Questions

• What watcher library or configuration would best address the silent‑failure issue on Windows?
• Is there a configuration flag that can override the default watcher on Windows without external tooling?
• How can users verify that the watcher is functioning correctly after a file change?