Cause (Documented platform behavior): macOS FSEvents service state (Apple-internal; not fully understood per doc).
Fix status: documented_behavior
Limitations:
- Doc-derived; not reproduced.
Other error fragments:
- FSEventStreamStart failed
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/facebook/watchman/e8cbdc2e8137c61e3036bd2c4a3f6116e87ddb72/website/docs/troubleshooting.md (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): FSEvents section: f2d_register_rpc() => (null) (-21) indicates fseventsd in a bad state; fixes listed from avoiding overlapping watches to restarting fseventsd or the computer.
Search phrasings: f2d_register_rpc() => (null) (-21) watchman; watchman FSEventStreamStart failed macOS; jest watch macos fsevents error
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- Watch fails to start; test runners or bundlers hang or don't pick up changes; watchman log shows the FSEvents error.
- Context
- Product: Watchman Component: FSEvents watcher (macOS) Operation: jest --watch, Metro bundler, or other watchman clients on macOS dev machines running many watchers (editors, agents, dev servers) Affected versions: unknown Environment: macOS Packages: watchman current docs Trigger: Too many FSEvents stream clients or a misbehaving client leaves fseventsd in a bad state.
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- FSEventStreamStart: register_with_server: ERROR: f2d_register_rpc() => (null) (-21)
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [Watchman (Jest/React Native/Metro) on macOS] 'FSEventStreamStart: register_with_server: ERROR: f2d_register_rpc() => (null) (-21)' — fseventsd in a bad state / too many FSEvents clients
Recommended action: Progressively: avoid overlapping watches (watch only project roots; root_restrict_files), close other FSEvents-heavy apps/watchers, `sudo pkill -9 -x fseventsd`, reboot.
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- 12548da1-1639-441f-8647-4fb84214ca6b
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Progressively: avoid overlapping watches (watch only project roots; root_restrict_files), close other FSEvents-heavy apps/watchers, `sudo pkill -9 -x fseventsd`, reboot.
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.