macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install colordifflocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install colordiffMacPorts ports tree · textproc/colordiff/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install colordiff with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Color-highlighted diff(1) output. Version 1.0.22 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add colordiffAlpine Linux edge package indexes · colordiff · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install colordiffDebian stable package indexes · colordiff · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install colordiffFedora Rawhide package metadata · colordiff · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#colordiffnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/co/colordiff/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S colordiffArch Linux sync databases · colordiff · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install colordiffopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · colordiff · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Color-highlighted diff(1) output
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cdiff
- colordiff
history
Project history and usage
colordiff is Dave Ewart's Perl wrapper for `diff`, adding ANSI color to traditional diff output while preserving the familiar diff command-line workflow.
Project history
The program dates to 2002 and has remained intentionally small: it wraps or filters diff-family output, recognizes several diff formats, and applies configurable color schemes. Its changelog shows a long maintenance history of portability fixes, support for more diff styles, and terminal behavior improvements rather than a shift in scope.
Adoption history
The upstream site tells Debian and Ubuntu users to install it from their distributions and notes that colordiff is packaged for other Linux, Unix, and BSD systems. The supplied package-manager metadata backs that up with entries across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE.
How it is used
Package users commonly run `colordiff file1 file2`, pipe existing `diff -u` output through `colordiff`, or alias `diff=colordiff`. The companion `cdiff` helper exists for compressed or URL-based diffs.
Why package nerds care
colordiff is the archetypal tiny terminal-enhancement package: stable, scriptable, dependency-light, and useful before Git's color defaults became universal. Its value to package managers is broad portability and a predictable configuration surface rather than novelty.
Timeline
- 2002: colordiff copyright history begins.
- 2000s: Support expanded for context, Subversion, side-by-side, wdiff, p4, and debdiff output.
- 2013: Upstream signing key changed for release tarballs.
- 2026: Version 1.0.22 released.
Related projects
- colordiff sits beside `diff`, `wdiff`, `debdiff`, CVS/Subversion diff output, and Git diff workflows, serving as a colorizing layer rather than a replacement diff algorithm.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cdiff | cli | global executable | |
colordiff | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.0.22
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.colordiff.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:colordiff |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.22 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/colordiff |
| Homepage | https://www.colordiff.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/daveewart/colordiff |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/daveewart/colordiff#readme |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://www.colordiff.org/colordiff-1.0.22.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | coreutils |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | colordiff |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
colordiff 1.0.21-1
tool to colorize 'diff' output
sudo apt install colordiff- Section: text
- Architecture: all
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
Nix95%
colordiff
nix profile install nixpkgs#colordiff- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
Ubuntu apt95%
colordiff 1.0.20-1
tool to colorize 'diff' output
sudo apt install colordiff- Section: universe/text
- Architecture: all
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
apk95%
colordiff 1.0.22-r0
Color terminal highlighter for diff files
sudo apk add colordiff- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: colordiff
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
apk95%
colordiff-doc 1.0.22-r0
Color terminal highlighter for diff files (documentation)
sudo apk add colordiff-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: colordiff
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
dnf95%
colordiff 1.0.22-1.fc44
Color terminal highlighter for diff files
sudo dnf install colordiff- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: colordiff
- 5 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
pacman95%
colordiff 1.0.22-1
A Perl script wrapper for 'diff' that produces the same output but with pretty 'syntax' highlighting
sudo pacman -S colordiff- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: any
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
zypper95%
colordiff 1.0.21-1.7
Colour-highlighted 'diff' output
sudo zypper install colordiff- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: colordiff
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
MacPorts95%
colordiff
sudo port install colordiff- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Colordiff
Ubuntu apt92%
python3-cdiff 1.0-1.1
Colored, incremental diff with side by side and auto pager support (Python 3)
sudo apt install python3-cdiff- Section: universe/python
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: cdiff
- 1 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Cdiff
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment