# Install diffutils with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper File comparison utilities. Version 3.12 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:diffutils ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install diffutils ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install diffutils ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/diffutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add diffutils ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: diffutils from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install diffutils ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: diffutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install diffutils ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: diffutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#diffutils ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: diffutils from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S diffutils ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: diffutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install diffutils ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: diffutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install diffutils ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: diffutils from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','dell-omsa' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/diffutils ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/diffutils.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id uutils.diffutils -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: uutils.diffutils from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:diffutils - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.12 - **Source summary:** File comparison utilities - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - cmp (cli) - diff (cli) - diff3 (cli) - sdiff (cli) - cmp (alias) - diff (alias) - diff3 (alias) - sdiff (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.12 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage GNU Diffutils is the GNU package that provides the classic file-comparison programs `diff`, `cmp`, `diff3`, and `sdiff`. ### Project history The GNU Diffutils manual describes the package as a way to find differences between files, including side-by-side formats, context and unified diffs, and scripts suitable for the `patch` program. As part of GNU, it supplies standard userland comparison utilities across GNU and GNU-like systems. ### Adoption history Diffutils became package-manager infrastructure almost by being everywhere: the tools are standard build, patch-review, and source-maintenance utilities, and Homebrew, Linux distributions, and other package sets commonly ship the GNU implementations under the `diffutils` package name. ### How it is used `diff` compares text files and can emit normal, context, or unified output; `cmp` checks byte-level differences; `diff3` compares three files for merge-style workflows; and `sdiff` supports side-by-side comparison and merging. ### Why package nerds care Diffutils is foundational package-nerd equipment. Source packages, downstream patches, generated tarballs, build logs, and regression tests all lean on diff-family tools, and many higher-level tools in this batch either consume diff output or improve on its presentation. ### Timeline - 1980s-1990s: GNU Diffutils became the GNU implementation of core file-comparison utilities. - 2000s: Unified diff output remained the common interchange format for source patches and package maintenance. - 2020s: GNU Diffutils continues to be distributed as the `diffutils` package across package managers. ### Related projects - Related tools include GNU patch, diffstat, Git diff, colordiff, diffoscope, and modern syntax-aware viewers such as Difftastic. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** diffutils - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - diffutils - 1:3.10-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: diffutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | File comparison utilities | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - Debian apt - diffutils-doc - 1:3.10-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: diffutils-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Documentation for GNU diffutils in HTML format | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - Nix - diffutils: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: diffutils from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - diffutils - 1:3.10-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: diffutils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | File comparison utilities | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - Ubuntu apt - diffutils-doc - 1:3.10-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: diffutils-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Documentation for GNU diffutils in HTML format | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - apk - diffutils - 3.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: diffutils from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Show differences among files | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - apk - diffutils-doc - 3.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: diffutils-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Show differences among files (documentation) | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - dnf - diffutils - 3.12-5.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: diffutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | GNU collection of diff utilities | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/diffutils.html - pacman - diffutils - 3.12-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: diffutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz | Utility programs used for creating patch files | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils - zypper - diffutils - 3.12-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: diffutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | GNU diff Utilities | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - zypper - diffutils-lang - 3.12-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: diffutils-lang from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Translations for package diffutils | https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/ - MacPorts - diffutils: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/diffutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - diffutils: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: diffutils from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','dell-omsa' - Scoop - main/diffutils: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/diffutils.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - uutils.diffutils: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: uutils.diffutils from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix - winget - DBAdminX.Diff: installed executable or alias match | Windows Package Manager source index: DBAdminX.Diff from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [midnight-commander](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/midnight-commander/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [quilt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/quilt/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [diffstat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffstat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, patches. - [dwdiff](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dwdiff/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, text-processing. - [colordiff](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/colordiff/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diff-so-fancy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diff-so-fancy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diffnav](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffnav/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diffoci](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffoci/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diffoscope](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffoscope/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diffr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [enscript](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enscript/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, gnu, processing. - [gawk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gawk/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, gnu, processing. - [grep](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/grep/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, gnu, processing. - [diffutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cargo/diffutils/) - Same normalized package name exists in another local package ecosystem. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/diffutils.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/diffutils.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph