pkg.soopen package index

brew / rank 3472

Install patchutils with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Small collection of programs that operate on patch files. Version 0.4.5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-09-11. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install patchutils.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install patchutils

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install patchutils

MacPorts ports tree · devel/patchutils/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add patchutils

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · patchutils · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install patchutils

Debian stable package indexes · patchutils · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install patchutils

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · patchutils · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#patchutils

nixpkgs package indexes · patchutils · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S patchutils

Arch Linux sync databases · patchutils · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install patchutils

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · patchutils · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Small collection of programs that operate on patch files

Commands and aliases

  • combinediff
  • dehtmldiff
  • editdiff
  • espdiff
  • filterdiff
  • fixcvsdiff
  • flipdiff
  • gitdiff
  • gitdiffview
  • gitshow
  • gitshowview
  • grepdiff
  • interdiff
  • lsdiff
  • move-to-front
  • patchview
  • patchview-wrapper
  • recountdiff
  • rediff
  • splitdiff
  • svndiff
  • svndiffview
  • unwrapdiff

history

Project history and usage

patchutils is a suite of command-line programs for inspecting, transforming, comparing, filtering, splitting, and repairing patch files.

Project history

Tim Waugh developed patchutils as a collection of small programs operating on patch files. The suite accumulated tools for combining, filtering, splitting, comparing, recounting, and correcting diffs. After a period of low release activity, the maintainer released version 0.4.3 in 2025—the first release since 2020—with accumulated fixes, new in-place editing options, improved cross-platform support through gnulib, and enhanced diff handling.

Adoption history

patchutils is distributed by numerous Unix-like package systems, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora-family distributions, Alpine, Arch Linux, Nix, openSUSE, Homebrew, and MacPorts. This broad packaging reflects the suite's durable role in source-based development and distribution-maintenance workflows.

How it is used

Users choose focused utilities such as filterdiff to select portions of a patch, interdiff to compare patch revisions, combinediff to merge incremental patches, lsdiff or grepdiff to inspect patch contents, splitdiff to separate patches, and rediff or recountdiff to repair diff metadata. The tools are designed to compose naturally with files, pipes, and source-control output.

Why package nerds care

patchutils turns patch files into manipulable data rather than treating them only as input to patch. Its focused commands support the everyday work of downstream maintainers: selecting hunks, comparing patch revisions, repairing metadata, inspecting affected files, and reorganizing patch series.

Timeline

  • 2020: Last release before the project's multi-year release pause.
  • 2025: Version 0.4.3 ended the release pause and incorporated accumulated fixes and improvements.

Related projects

  • patchutils complements GNU diffutils and GNU patch and is commonly useful alongside Git and other source-control systems that emit unified diffs.

Sources

  • Maintainer release history note: https://cyberelk.net/tim/2025/09/02/patchutils-rises-from-slumber/
  • Official project page: https://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils
  • Official releases: https://github.com/twaugh/patchutils/releases
  • Official repository: https://github.com/twaugh/patchutils

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
combinediffcliglobal executable
dehtmldiffcliglobal executable
editdiffcliglobal executable
espdiffcliglobal executable
filterdiffcliglobal executable
fixcvsdiffcliglobal executable
flipdiffcliglobal executable
gitdiffcliglobal executable
gitdiffviewcliglobal executable
gitshowcliglobal executable
gitshowviewcliglobal executable
grepdiffcliglobal executable
interdiffcliglobal executable
lsdiffcliglobal executable
move-to-frontcliglobal executable
patchviewcliglobal executable
patchview-wrappercliglobal executable
recountdiffcliglobal executable
rediffcliglobal executable
splitdiffcliglobal executable
svndiffcliglobal executable
svndiffviewcliglobal executable
unwrapdiffcliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19
manager version0.4.5
manager updated2026-09-11
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/twaugh/patchutils

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:patchutils
Version0.4.5
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/patchutils
Homepagehttps://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/twaugh/patchutils
Upstream docshttps://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/
LicenseGPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/twaugh/patchutils/releases/download/0.4.5/patchutils-0.4.5.tar.xz
Last updated2026-09-11T18:40:21Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesxmlto
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namepatchutils
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

patchutils 0.4.2-1

Utilities to work with patches

http://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo apt install patchutils
  • Section: text
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 4 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: patchutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

patchutils

nix profile install nixpkgs#patchutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: patchutils from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
Ubuntu apt95%

patchutils 0.4.2-1build3

Utilities to work with patches

http://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo apt install patchutils
  • Section: text
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 4 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: patchutils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

patchutils 0.4.5-r0

Programs for manipulating patch files

https://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo apk add patchutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: patchutils
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: patchutils from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

patchutils-bash-completion 0.4.5-r0

Bash completions for patchutils

https://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo apk add patchutils-bash-completion
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: patchutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: patchutils-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

patchutils-doc 0.4.5-r0

Programs for manipulating patch files (documentation)

https://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo apk add patchutils-doc
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: patchutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: patchutils-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

patchutils 0.4.5-2.fc45

A collection of programs for manipulating patch files

http://cyberelk.net/tim/patchutils/

sudo dnf install patchutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: patchutils
  • 8 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: patchutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

patchutils 0.4.5-1

A small collection of programs that operate on patch files

http://cyberelk.net/tim/patchutils/

sudo pacman -S patchutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: patchutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

patchutils 0.4.5-1.3

A Collection of Tools for Manipulating Patch Files

https://cyberelk.net/tim/software/patchutils/

sudo zypper install patchutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Productivity/File utilities
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: patchutils
  • 8 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: patchutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

patchutils

sudo port install patchutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Patchutils
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/patchutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • xmltoBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • quiltShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, patch-management, patches, source-control.
  • diffutilsShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, patches.
  • icdiffShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff.
  • diffstatShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, patches.
  • gitShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, source-control.
  • git-deltaShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment
  • pkg.so package database
  • pkgdb category and tag curation