# Install latexdiff with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts Compare and mark up LaTeX file differences. Version 1.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:latexdiff ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install latexdiff ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install latexdiff ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: tex/latexdiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install latexdiff ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: latexdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:latexdiff - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.0 - **Source summary:** Compare and mark up LaTeX file differences - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - latexdiff (cli) - latexdiff-fast (cli) - latexdiff-so (cli) - latexdiff-vc (cli) - latexrevise (cli) - latexdiff (alias) - latexdiff-fast (alias) - latexdiff-so (alias) - latexdiff-vc (alias) - latexrevise (alias) ## Uses from macOS - perl ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.4.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/ftilmann/latexdiff - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage latexdiff is a Perl tool for comparing two LaTeX files and producing a marked-up LaTeX file that shows significant textual changes. It fills the same social role for LaTeX authors that track changes fills in word processors. ### Project history CTAN identifies latexdiff as a package for determining and marking up significant differences between LaTeX files, with Frederik J. Tilmann as maintainer and copyright beginning in 2004. The main script header likewise names F J Tilmann and points to CTAN and the GitHub repository. The project expanded beyond the core `latexdiff` script to include `latexrevise`, which can accept or reject changes, and `latexdiff-vc`, a wrapper for version-control systems. The `latexdiff-vc` script records support for systems such as CVS, RCS, SVN, Git, and Mercurial, with Git support appearing in its 1.0.1 history. The GitHub repository was created on 2014-06-17. CTAN lists the package in TeX Live and MiKTeX and records the 2026-01-02 package version date. ### Adoption history latexdiff became a standard utility in academic and technical writing because journals, supervisors, and collaborators often request visible revisions, while LaTeX source files do not map naturally to word-processor track changes. CTAN, TeX Live, MiKTeX, Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, and Ubuntu packaging made it easy to add to authoring workflows. The ecosystem around it includes wrapper scripts and front ends such as git-latexdiff, latexdiffr, latexdiffcite, and browser/WebAssembly interfaces, reflecting the same need across Git, R Markdown, BibTeX, and web-based workflows. ### How it is used The typical command compares an old and a new `.tex` file and emits a new LaTeX file with inserted and deleted text marked using standard LaTeX packages. Users then compile the generated file to inspect revisions, or use `latexrevise` and `latexdiff-vc` for accepting changes or comparing version-control revisions. ### Why package nerds care latexdiff is package-nerd significant because it is small, scriptable, and solves a workflow problem that version-control diffs do not solve for human reviewers: a compiled PDF showing semantic document changes. It is also a classic example of a package that glues together language tooling, version control, and publishing conventions without needing a GUI. ### Timeline - 2004: Copyright range begins for the main latexdiff script. - 2005: latexdiff-vc copyright range begins. - 2014-06-17: GitHub repository created. - 2018-10-07: latexdiff-vc 1.3.0 records an `--only-changes` option. - 2026-01-02: CTAN package version date for latexdiff 1.4.0. ### Related projects - Related projects include latexrevise, latexdiff-vc, git-latexdiff, latexdiffr, latexdiffcite, latexchanges, TeX Live, MiKTeX, Git, Subversion, Mercurial, and Algorithm::Diff. ### 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:** latexdiff - **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 - latexdiff - 1.3.2-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: latexdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | utility to mark up significant differences between LaTeX files | https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff - Ubuntu apt - latexdiff - 1.3.2-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: latexdiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | utility to mark up significant differences between LaTeX files | https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff - MacPorts - latexdiff: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: tex/latexdiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## 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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [opendetex](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/opendetex/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, document-processing, latex, productivity, tex. - [cpdf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cpdf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, document-processing, productivity. - [a2ps](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/a2ps/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, document-processing, productivity. - [enter-tex](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enter-tex/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, latex, productivity, tex. - [fop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, document-processing, productivity. - [latex2html](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/latex2html/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, latex, productivity, tex. - [latex2rtf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/latex2rtf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, latex, productivity, tex. - [latexindent](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/latexindent/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, latex, productivity, tex. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/latexdiff.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/latexdiff.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