# Install zsync with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper File transfer program. Version 0.7.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-01. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:zsync ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install zsync ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install zsync ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/zsync/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install zsync ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: zsync from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install zsync ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: zsync 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#zsync ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/zs/zsync/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S zsync ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: zsync from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install zsync ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: zsync from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:zsync - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.7.2 - **Source summary:** File transfer program - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Artistic-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-01T13:45:01Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - zsync (cli) - zsyncmake (cli) - zsync (alias) - zsyncmake (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.7.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-01 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage zsync is a differential download tool that applies the rsync algorithm on the client side over ordinary HTTP. It lets users update a large local file by downloading only changed byte ranges from a web server that publishes a small .zsync metadata file. ### Project history Colin Phipps developed zsync to solve a distribution problem rather than a private synchronization problem. The original site contrasts it with rsync: rsync is designed for synchronizing data between machines, while zsync is aimed at distributing one file from a server to many downloaders without running a special server daemon. The project was originally released in 2004. The technical paper describes the core idea as client-side rsync: the server performs one-off checksum precomputation into a control file, while each client uses HTTP range requests to fetch only missing content. The 0.7 line is a rewrite of the program. The current site notes that it is less mature than the 0.6.x line, removed older look-inside-compressed-file support, and keeps development history in the GitHub repository. ### Adoption history zsync's best-known adoption niche is large-file distribution where many users already have yesterday's or last week's file: Linux installation images, daily builds, virtual-machine images, and other release artifacts. The server page explicitly calls out daily Linux installer or live images as a good fit. The project never became a general directory-sync replacement, and its own documentation says multiple-file support is not planned. That boundary is part of its packaging identity: zsync is a small CLI for one-file HTTP distribution, with zsyncmake producing the metadata publishers need. ### How it is used Publishers run zsyncmake against a target file to generate a .zsync control file containing the precomputed checksums and one or more URLs for the full content. The web server must make both the .zsync metadata and the full target available, and should support HTTP Range requests. Users run zsync against the .zsync URL. The client scans existing local data, downloads only missing ranges from the target URL, and reconstructs the new file. The design is most effective when old and new files share content and when compression is piecewise or rsync-friendly. ### Why package nerds care zsync is package-nerd significant because it attacks bandwidth costs at the distribution layer using boring web hosting. It asks maintainers to publish one extra metadata file, not to operate rsync infrastructure or invent a new protocol. It is also a good example of a package whose constraints matter as much as its feature list: single-file distribution, HTTP range behavior, stable target content, and compression choices all determine whether the package is magic or useless. ### Timeline - 2004: zsync originally released. - 2000s: 0.0.x through 0.6.x releases accumulated on the official download page. - 0.7.0: Rewrite line introduced, with the project warning that it may be less mature than 0.6.x. - 0.7.2: Current version listed on the official download page. ### Related projects - Related projects and technologies include rsync, rdiff, HTTP/1.1 range requests, gzip --rsyncable, Linux distribution ISO publishing, update systems, and mirror networks. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for zsync. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** zsync - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - zsync - 0.6.2-8: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: zsync from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | client-side implementation of the rsync algorithm | http://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - Nix - zsync: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/zs/zsync/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - zsync - 0.6.2-5build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: zsync from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | client-side implementation of the rsync algorithm | http://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - dnf - zsync - 0.6.4-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: zsync from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | a file transfer program using the same algorithm as rsync over HTTP | https://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - pacman - zsync - 0.6.4-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: zsync from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A file transfer program that's able to connect to rsync servers | https://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - zypper - zsync - 0.6.3-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: zsync from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Client-side Implementation of the Rsync Algorithm over HTTP | https://zsync.moria.org.uk/ - MacPorts - zsync: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/zsync/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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Web development packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/web-dev-tools/) - Matched web development metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [davix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/davix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, http, networking. - [librsync](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/librsync/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking, rsync. - [airshare](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/airshare/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [bbftp-client](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bbftp-client/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [croc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/croc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [duck](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/duck/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [ffsend](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffsend/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [gdown](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gdown/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [lftp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lftp/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, file, file-transfer, http, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/zsync.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/zsync.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