macOS
Homebrew Caskverified · 100%
brew install --cask kaleidoscope@2local Homebrew cask metadata
cask
Install kaleidoscope@2 with Homebrew Cask
Spot and merge differences in text and image files or folders. Version 2.4.5,1457,dec-20-2021 via Homebrew Cask; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Spot and merge differences in text and image files or folders
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ksdiff
history
Project history and usage
Kaleidoscope 2 is the legacy second major generation of the macOS visual diff and merge application, retained as a separate Homebrew cask for users of that release.
Project history
Black Pixel released Kaleidoscope 2 after taking over development from Made by Sofa. It was the last major generation before the product’s 2020 acquisition and subsequent revival.
Kaleidoscope 2.4 was used as a bridge release by the new team, adding developer-focused capabilities while version 3 was being prepared.
Adoption history
Version 2 brought Kaleidoscope to the Mac App Store in January 2013 and served as the product’s principal release line for roughly eight years.
The new owners issued version 2.4 in 2021 with Xcode debugger integration and other improvements before releasing version 3. Existing v2 owners retained perpetual-license use rights.
How it is used
Kaleidoscope 2 compares and merges text, images, and folders and can participate in version-control workflows through ksdiff.
This cask is primarily useful to owners of a version 2 perpetual license or users maintaining an older compatible Mac workflow.
Why package nerds care
The versioned Homebrew cask preserves access to a legacy, perpetually licensed Mac developer tool after the main cask advanced to newer commercial releases.
Kaleidoscope 2 is also a useful example of package managers retaining old application generations when licensing, operating-system compatibility, or workflow stability makes an in-place major upgrade undesirable.
Timeline
- 2013: Kaleidoscope 2.0 launched and entered the Mac App Store.
- 2020: The product changed ownership.
- 2021: Version 2.4 added Xcode debugger integration; 2.4.1 followed with fixes and PDF-image handling.
- 2021: Kaleidoscope 3 succeeded the v2 generation.
Related projects
- Kaleidoscope 3 succeeded this release line; Git, Xcode, Subversion, Mercurial, and ksdiff are closely related workflow tools.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for kaleidoscope@2. Package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ksdiff | binary | Homebrew cask binary | ksdiff |
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 generated2026-11-04
manager version2.4.5,1457,dec-20-2021
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://kaleidoscope.app/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | cask:kaleidoscope@2 |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.4.5,1457,dec-20-2021 |
| Package manager | Homebrew Cask |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/kaleidoscope@2 |
| Homepage | https://kaleidoscope.app/ |
| Upstream docs | https://kaleidoscope.app/ |
| Source archive | https://updates.kaleidoscope.app/v2/prod/Kaleidoscope-2.4.5-1457-dec-20-2021.app.zip |
| SHA-256 | bbe5afc9f9292309527b6149e832c85460624e330c0768cd706d0629e0755611 |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew cask API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/cask |
| Full Token | kaleidoscope@2 |
| Names |
|
| Conflicts With | |
| Artifacts | |
| Auto Updates | yes |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
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.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment