Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install diff-so-fancy with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper

Good-lookin' diffs with diff-highlight and more. Version 1.4.10 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-13.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install diff-so-fancy

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install diff-so-fancy

MacPorts ports tree · textproc/diff-so-fancy/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install diff-so-fancy

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · diff-so-fancy · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#diff-so-fancy

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/di/diff-so-fancy/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S diff-so-fancy

Arch Linux sync databases · diff-so-fancy · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install diff-so-fancy

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · diff-so-fancy · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/diff-so-fancy

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/diff-so-fancy.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Good-lookin' diffs with diff-highlight and more

Commands and aliases

  • diff-so-fancy

history

Project history and usage

diff-so-fancy is a terminal filter that reformats unified diffs into a more human-readable display. It is commonly wired into Git as a pager or interactive diff filter.

Project history

The official history document says diff-so-fancy began as a commit in Paul Irish's dotfiles, grew into a standalone script, and was later moved into the so-fancy repository by Steve Mao. The GitHub repository was created in 2016.

The README presents the project as a tool for making diffs human readable to improve code quality and defect spotting. Its options are mostly Git configuration keys that control hunk headers, leading symbols, rulers, empty lines, and display width.

Adoption history

diff-so-fancy spread through developer tooling because it required little ceremony: place the script on PATH and point Git's pager or interactive.diffFilter at it. The README lists official project-noted availability through GitHub releases, npm, Homebrew, Fedora, Arch, and Debian/Ubuntu packaging.

How it is used

The normal Git setup is core.pager set to pipe through diff-so-fancy and less, plus interactive.diffFilter for patch mode. It can also consume ordinary unified diff output from diff -u or recursive diff.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, diff-so-fancy is a classic single-purpose developer package: a small script, broad editor-terminal appeal, and visible overlap between dotfiles culture, Git ergonomics, and distro packaging.

Timeline

  • 2016: The so-fancy/diff-so-fancy GitHub repository is created.
  • 2021: Version 1.4.0 is published.
  • 2026: Version 1.4.10 is published.

Related projects

  • Git, diff-highlight, delta, Lazygit, and difftastic are the main neighboring tools named by upstream.

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.

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

CommandKindExposureNote
diff-so-fancycliglobal 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 generated2026-07-07
manager version1.4.10
manager updated2026-06-13
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.4.10

https://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:diff-so-fancy
Version1.4.10
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/diff-so-fancy
Homepagehttps://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy
Repositoryhttps://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy
Upstream docshttps://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy/archive/refs/tags/v1.4.10.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-13T01:24:09+02:00
Pulseupdated
Bottleavailable (on all)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namediff-so-fancy
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

diff-so-fancy

nix profile install nixpkgs#diff-so-fancy
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/di/diff-so-fancy/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
dnf95%

diff-so-fancy 1.4.4-9.fc44

Good-lookin' diffs

https://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy

sudo dnf install diff-so-fancy
  • License: MIT
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: diff-so-fancy
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: diff-so-fancy from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

diff-so-fancy 1.4.10-1

Good-looking diffs with diff-highlight and more

https://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy

sudo pacman -S diff-so-fancy
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: any
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: diff-so-fancy from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

diff-so-fancy 1.4.10-2.1

Strives to make your diffs human readable

https://github.com/so-fancy/diff-so-fancy

sudo zypper install diff-so-fancy
  • License: MIT
  • Category: Productivity/Text/Utilities
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: diff-so-fancy
  • 3 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: diff-so-fancy from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

diff-so-fancy

sudo port install diff-so-fancy
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: textproc/diff-so-fancy/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Scoop95%

main/diff-so-fancy

scoop install main/diff-so-fancy
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Diff So Fancy
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/diff-so-fancy.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • diff-so-fancySame normalized package name appears in another local ecosystem. Shared terms: diff, diff-highlight, diff-so-fancy, diffs, fancy.

Same workflow

  • diffnavShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, git, pager.
  • diffrShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, git, terminal.
  • git-deltaShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, git, pager.
  • git-split-diffsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, git, terminal.
  • colordiffShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, terminal.
  • difftasticShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, git.
  • diff-so-fancySame normalized package name in another local ecosystem.

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.

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