pkg.soopen package index

brew / rank 9503

Install pkgdiff with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper

Tool for analyzing changes in software packages (e.g. RPM, DEB, TAR.GZ). Version 1.8 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install pkgdiff.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install pkgdiff

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install pkgdiff

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install pkgdiff

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

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#pkgdiff

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgdiff/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S pkgdiff

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install pkgdiff

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

overview

Package summary

Tool for analyzing changes in software packages (e.g. RPM, DEB, TAR.GZ)

Commands and aliases

  • pkgdiff

history

Project history and usage

pkgdiff is a command-line package-change analyzer that compares releases distributed as RPM, DEB, TAR.GZ, and other archive formats and produces an HTML report.

Project history

Andrey Ponomarenko developed pkgdiff as Package Changes Analyzer for Linux maintainers comparing old and new software packages. The official changelog documents sustained development through the 2010s, including directory comparison, additional package formats, binary ABI analysis, and improved reports.

Adoption history

The input records availability through Homebrew, Debian, Fedora/DNF, Nix, Arch Linux, Ubuntu, and openSUSE, reflecting broad packaging across Linux and Unix-like package ecosystems.

How it is used

Users run `pkgdiff PKG1 PKG2`; the tool extracts and compares package contents and writes an HTML changes report under `pkgdiff_reports`. XML descriptors can represent and compare groups of related packages.

Why package nerds care

pkgdiff gives distribution maintainers a format-aware view of changes between built packages rather than merely comparing source trees. Its handling of RPM, DEB, compressed archives, binaries, metadata, and generated HTML reports makes it useful for release engineering and compatibility review.

Timeline

  • 2012: Version 1.4 added simplified two-package usage and macOS support.
  • 2013: Versions 1.5 and 1.6 expanded file classification and ABI analysis.
  • 2015: Version 1.7 added direct directory comparison.
  • 2017: Version 1.8 improved large-directory comparison and file classification.

Related projects

  • The official documentation recommends ABI Compliance Checker and ABI Dumper for deeper compatibility analysis and relies on standard packaging tools such as rpm, rpm2cpio, dpkg, and dpkg-deb.

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 1 platform targets.
  • Installs with 3 runtime 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
pkgdiffcliglobal 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 version1.8
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected1.8

https://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:pkgdiff
Version1.8
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/pkgdiff
Homepagehttps://lvc.github.io/pkgdiff/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff
Upstream docshttps://lvc.github.io/pkgdiff/
LicenseGPL-2.0-only
Source archivehttps://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff/archive/refs/tags/1.8.tar.gz
Dependenciesbinutils, gawk, wdiff
Bottleavailable (on all)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

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

pkgdiff 1.7.2-1.1

tool for visualizing changes in Linux software packages

https://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff

sudo apt install pkgdiff
  • Section: devel
  • Architecture: all
  • 4 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Pkgdiff
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: pkgdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

pkgdiff

nix profile install nixpkgs#pkgdiff
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Pkgdiff
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/pk/pkgdiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

pkgdiff 1.7.2-1.1

tool for visualizing changes in Linux software packages

https://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff

sudo apt install pkgdiff
  • Section: universe/devel
  • Architecture: all
  • 4 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Pkgdiff
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pkgdiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
dnf95%

pkgdiff 1.8-5.fc45

A tool for analyzing changes in Linux software packages

http://lvc.github.io/pkgdiff/

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

pkgdiff 1.8-1

A tool for analyzing changes in Linux software packages

https://lvc.github.io/pkgdiff

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

pkgdiff 1.8-1.4

Package Changes Analyzer

https://github.com/lvc/pkgdiff

sudo zypper install pkgdiff
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Category: Development/Tools/Other
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: pkgdiff
  • 7 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Pkgdiff
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: pkgdiff from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst

package graph

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

Related tools

  • binutilsRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • gawkRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • wdiffRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • biodiffShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff, diff-tools.
  • nfpmShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, deb, developer-tools, rpm.
  • yeetShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, deb, developer-tools, rpm.
  • libarchiveShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, tar.
  • git-deltaShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, diff.
  • difftasticShares 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