# Install duff with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix Quickly find duplicates in a set of files from the command-line. Version 0.5.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:duff ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install duff ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install duff ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/duff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install duff ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: duff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install duff ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: duff 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#duff ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/du/duff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:duff - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.5.2 - **Source summary:** Quickly find duplicates in a set of files from the command-line - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Zlib - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - duff (cli) - duff (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.5.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/elmindreda/duff - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage duff is an older Unix command-line duplicate-file finder that compares candidate files using SHA-family message digests. Its history is unusually well documented in its README, including its pre-release name, early private circulation, first official release, and later maintenance releases. ### Project history The tool began as version 0.1 under the name duplicate, then version 0.2 became the first release named duff but was only shared with a few people in early 2005. Version 0.3 became the first official release on November 22, 2005 after the author found a suitably licensed SHA1 implementation. Version 0.4, released January 13, 2006, was described by the project as the first stable everyday-use release. The 0.5 line in 2011 and 2012 restarted development with minor features, bug fixes, optimizations, improved default thorough-mode output, and message-prefix cleanup. ### Adoption history duff became a portable Unix utility rather than a large ecosystem project. The README records successful builds across Linux distributions, BSDs, Darwin and Mac OS X, NetBSD, SunOS, Cygwin, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and package metadata shows it still exists in Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu. ### How it is used The common use is scanning one or more paths for duplicate files, with duff grouping duplicate candidates after digest-based comparison. The project ships a traditional man page and autotools build, matching the packaging style of mid-2000s Unix command-line utilities. ### Why package nerds care duff is interesting as a compact, old-school duplicate finder that survived through distro packaging. It belongs to the era before newer Rust and Go disk tools, when small C utilities with man pages, autotools, and portable Unix build notes were the normal package-manager substrate. ### Timeline - 2005: Version 0.2, the first named duff release, circulated privately. - 2005: Version 0.3 became the first official release on November 22. - 2006: Version 0.4 was considered stable enough for everyday use. - 2011: Version 0.5 restarted development with minor features and fixes. - 2012: Version 0.5.2 added optimizations and default behavior changes. ### Related projects - fdupes and rdfind are adjacent duplicate-file finders in Unix package collections. - Modern disk-maintenance tools overlap with duff's cleanup use case, but duff's identity remains the narrow duplicate-file finder. ### 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:** duff - **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 - duff - 0.5.2-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: duff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Duplicate file finder | https://github.com/elmindreda/duff - Nix - duff: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/du/duff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - duff - 0.5.2-1.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: duff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Duplicate file finder | http://duff.sourceforge.net/ - dnf - duff - 0.5.2-32.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: duff from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Quickly find duplicate files | http://duff.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - duff: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/duff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [rdfind](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rdfind/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deduplication, duplicate-files, filesystem, system. - [rmlint](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rmlint/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deduplication, duplicate-files, filesystem, system. - [ddh](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddh/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deduplication, duplicate-files, system. - [acl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/acl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, system. - [afuse](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/afuse/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, system. - [attr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/attr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, system. - [avfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/avfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, system. - [bindfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bindfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, system. - [fdupes](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fdupes/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, deduplication, duplicate, duplicate-files, files. - [facad](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/facad/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, command-line, filesystem, line, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/duff.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/duff.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