# Install colordiff with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Color-highlighted diff(1) output. Version 1.0.22 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-24. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install colordiff.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:colordiff
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install colordiff
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install colordiff
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/colordiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add colordiff
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colordiff from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install colordiff
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: colordiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install colordiff
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: colordiff from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#colordiff
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/co/colordiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S colordiff
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: colordiff from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install colordiff
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: colordiff from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:colordiff
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.0.22
- **Source summary:** Color-highlighted diff(1) output
- **Homepage:** <https://www.colordiff.org/>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-24T10:43:25Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- cdiff (alias)
- colordiff (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.0.22
## Project history and usage

colordiff is Dave Ewart's Perl wrapper for `diff`, adding ANSI color to traditional diff output while preserving the familiar diff command-line workflow.

### Project history

The program dates to 2002 and has remained intentionally small: it wraps or filters diff-family output, recognizes several diff formats, and applies configurable color schemes. Its changelog shows a long maintenance history of portability fixes, support for more diff styles, and terminal behavior improvements rather than a shift in scope.

### Adoption history

The upstream site tells Debian and Ubuntu users to install it from their distributions and notes that colordiff is packaged for other Linux, Unix, and BSD systems. The supplied package-manager metadata backs that up with entries across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE.

### How it is used

Package users commonly run `colordiff file1 file2`, pipe existing `diff -u` output through `colordiff`, or alias `diff=colordiff`. The companion `cdiff` helper exists for compressed or URL-based diffs.

### Why package nerds care

colordiff is the archetypal tiny terminal-enhancement package: stable, scriptable, dependency-light, and useful before Git's color defaults became universal. Its value to package managers is broad portability and a predictable configuration surface rather than novelty.

### Timeline

- 2002: colordiff copyright history begins.
- 2000s: Support expanded for context, Subversion, side-by-side, wdiff, p4, and debdiff output.
- 2013: Upstream signing key changed for release tarballs.
- 2026: Version 1.0.22 released.

### Related projects

- colordiff sits beside `diff`, `wdiff`, `debdiff`, CVS/Subversion diff output, and Git diff workflows, serving as a colorizing layer rather than a replacement diff algorithm.

### Sources

- <https://www.colordiff.org/>
- <https://github.com/daveewart/colordiff>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/daveewart/colordiff/master/README>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/daveewart/colordiff/master/CHANGES>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - colordiff - 1.0.21-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: colordiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | tool to colorize 'diff' output | http://www.colordiff.org/
- Nix - colordiff: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/co/colordiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - colordiff - 1.0.20-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: colordiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | tool to colorize 'diff' output | http://www.colordiff.org/
- apk - colordiff - 1.0.22-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colordiff from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Color terminal highlighter for diff files | https://www.colordiff.org
- apk - colordiff-doc - 1.0.22-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colordiff-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Color terminal highlighter for diff files (documentation) | https://www.colordiff.org
- dnf - colordiff - 1.0.22-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: colordiff from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Color terminal highlighter for diff files | http://www.colordiff.org/
- pacman - colordiff - 1.0.22-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: colordiff from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A Perl script wrapper for 'diff' that produces the same output but with pretty 'syntax' highlighting | https://www.colordiff.org/
- zypper - colordiff - 1.0.22-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: colordiff from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Colour-highlighted 'diff' output | https://www.colordiff.org
- MacPorts - colordiff: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/colordiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - python3-cdiff - 1.0-1.1: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-cdiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Colored, incremental diff with side by side and auto pager support (Python 3)


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/colordiff.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/colordiff.yml)


## Sources

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