# Install numdiff with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix Putative files comparison tool. Version 5.9.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:numdiff ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install numdiff ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install numdiff ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: science/numdiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install numdiff ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: numdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#numdiff ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nu/numdiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:numdiff - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.9.0 - **Source summary:** Putative files comparison tool - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ndselect (cli) - numdiff (cli) - ndselect (alias) - numdiff (alias) ## Dependencies - gmp ## 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: 5.9.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.nongnu.org/numdiff - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Numdiff is a small, long-lived NonGNU utility by Ivano Primi for comparing files that contain numeric fields. Its reason to exist is simple: ordinary `diff`, `cmp`, and `wdiff` do not know that two textual representations may be numerically equivalent, nor can they ignore numeric changes below a requested tolerance. ### Project history The official manual for Numdiff 5.9 carries copyrights from 2005 through 2017 and documents a mature Unix-style C program built with the usual `configure`, `make`, and `make install` workflow. The 5.9 manual also notes that older 5.x releases accepted fewer options and that 4.0.0 and 3.x used a different output format, so the package has a real pre-5.x history even though public narrative sources are sparse. ### Adoption history Numdiff has modest adoption: it is packaged by Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, and GNU Guix, but it is not a broad ecosystem cornerstone. Homebrew's formula page listed only 43 installs over 365 days on July 1, 2026, which fits the profile of a specialist testing/scientific utility that users reach for when normal diffs are too literal. ### How it is used The practical workflow is comparing generated numeric output line by line and field by field while setting absolute or relative tolerances and accepting equivalent numeric notation. Numdiff also ships `ndselect` for selecting lines and fields, and version 5.9 added a raw output format intended for machine parsing. ### Why package nerds care Numdiff is the classic package-manager long tail: tiny, stable, GPL-licensed, and exactly useful when validating numerical programs whose outputs vary by rounding, notation, platform, compiler, or BLAS implementation. It is most likely to appear in regression-test scripts, scientific-code QA, and packaging test fixtures. ### Timeline - 2005-2017: Years covered by the official manual copyright range. - 5.9: Adds compact raw output intended for parsing by other programs. ### Related projects - GNU diffutils - wdiff - cmp ### 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:** numdiff - **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 - numdiff - 5.9.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: numdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Compare similar files with numeric fields | https://nongnu.org/numdiff/ - Nix - numdiff: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nu/numdiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - numdiff - 5.9.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: numdiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Compare similar files with numeric fields | http://nongnu.org/numdiff/ - MacPorts - numdiff: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: science/numdiff/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. - [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. - [diffoscope](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffoscope/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, files. - [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. - [diffr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [diffstat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffstat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [difftastic](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/difftastic/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff. - [texi2html](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/texi2html/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, files. - [diffutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diffutils/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, comparison, developer, developer-tools, diff. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/numdiff.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/numdiff.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