xdelta

Create delta

$ xdelta delta [old_file] [new_file] [patch.xdelta]

$ xdelta patch [patch.xdelta] [old_file] [new_file]

$ xdelta -9 delta [old_file] [new_file] [patch.xdelta]

$ xdelta info [patch.xdelta]

$ xdelta test [patch.xdelta] [old_file]

xdelta command [options] [files]

xdelta creates binary differences. It generates small patches between files.
Delta creation compares old and new. Output is much smaller than full file.
Patching reconstructs new file. Requires old file and patch.
VCDIFF format is standardized. Interoperable with other tools.
Useful for software updates. Distribute patches instead of full files.
Compression reduces patch size. Higher levels take more time.

delta

Create delta file.

Apply delta file.

Show patch info.

Verify patch.

Compression level.

Force overwrite.

Source file.

Old file must match exactly. Large files need memory. Version compatibility matters.

xdelta was created for efficient binary differencing. Version 1 evolved into xdelta3 with VCDIFF standard support.

xdelta3(1), bsdiff(1), rdiff(1)