GitKraken Desktop ↔ External Git Changes: Should a Filesystem Watcher Auto‑Refresh the Cache?

Goal

To determine whether GitKraken Desktop should detect external file system changes and automatically refresh its lightweight SQLite cache, thereby preventing stale status displays.

Current Constraints

GitKraken’s cache is refreshed only on application start or via the manual ‘Refresh’ button. External modifications (e.g., edits from a terminal or another editor) are not tracked in real time, leaving the UI potentially out of sync with the repository’s actual state.

Open Questions

• What trade‑offs exist between implementing a background filesystem watcher (inotify, FSEvents, ReadDirectoryChangesW) and maintaining the current manual refresh model?
• Would automatic cache invalidation risk performance degradation on large repositories, and how could it be throttled?
• Should the feature be opt‑in via settings, or should it become the default behavior in future releases?