Bsdiff - Revision history

Dan Tobias at 00:51, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T00:51:40Z

Ross-spencer: Update OPF link

2025-09-29T11:38:38Z

Update OPF link

Ross-spencer: Updated heading

2025-09-29T07:37:14Z

Updated heading

Ross-spencer: Added links and more information

2025-09-29T07:36:48Z

Added links and more information

Ross-spencer: Adds link to links and references

2025-09-29T07:18:03Z

Adds link to links and references

Dan Tobias: /* Links and references */

2014-07-10T02:30:21Z

‎Links and references

Jsummers: PRONOM

2013-03-14T23:50:36Z

PRONOM

Dan Tobias: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |subcat=Archiving |released=2003 }} '''Bsdiff''' is an open-source utility for generating diffs of binary files which can be distributed as patches or updates wi..."

2012-12-15T22:07:57Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |subcat=Archiving |released=2003 }} '''Bsdiff''' is an open-source utility for generating diffs of binary files which can be distributed as patches or updates wi..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|subcat=Archiving
|released=2003
}}

'''Bsdiff''' is an open-source utility for generating diffs of binary files which can be distributed as patches or updates without having to send the entire set of binary data each time the package is updated. While one might think the need for such things is reduced with the much-improved bandwidth of modern times, software has also increased in size (the "bloatware" phenomenon), so the need for tools like this continues. Supposedly bsdiff generates more compact diff files than the high-priced proprietary [[RTPatch]] system.

[[bzip2]] is used for compression.

There have been some forks and variant versions of bsdiff, and slightly-divergent forms are used for some platforms and software systems; for instance, there is an adapted version used for Mozilla updates (which, in turn, get put into [[Mozilla Archive]] files).

== Links and references ==
* [http://www.daemonology.net/bsdiff/ BSDIFF page with link to download]
* [http://www.pokorra.de/coding/bsdiff.html bsdiff for Windows]
* [http://cx-bsdiff.sourceforge.net/ bsdiff Python extension]
* [http://www.daemonology.net/papers/bsdiff.pdf Paper on algorithm used]
* [http://www.daemonology.net/papers/thesis.pdf Doctoral thesis by author describing more sophisticated algorithm]
* [http://damaestro.us/blog/bsdiff-very-interesting-binary-diff Blog discussion]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 * [http://www.daemonology.net/papers/thesis.pdf Doctoral thesis by author describing more sophisticated algorithm]
 * [http://damaestro.us/blog/bsdiff-very-interesting-binary-diff Blog discussion]
-* [http://openplanetsfoundation.org/blogs/2014-07-09-bsdiff-technological-solutions-reversible-pre-conditioning-complex-binary-objects BSDIFF: Technological Solutions for Reversible Pre-conditioning of Complex Binary Objects]
+* [https://openpreservation.org/blogs/bsdiff-technological-solutions-reversible-pre-conditioning-complex-binary-objects/ BSDIFF: Technological Solutions for Reversible Pre-conditioning of Complex Binary Objects]
 * [https://exponentialdecay.co.uk/blog/bsdiff-as-a-tool-for-digital-preservation/ Revisiting bsdiff as a tool for digital preservation]

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 There have been some forks and variant versions of bsdiff, and slightly-divergent forms are used for some platforms and software systems; for instance, there is an adapted version used for Mozilla updates (which, in turn, get put into [[Mozilla Archive]] files).
-== Sources ==
+== Code and downloads ==
 * [http://www.daemonology.net/bsdiff/ BSDIFF page with link to download]

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:18, 29 September 2025
Line 20:		Line 20:
	* [http://damaestro.us/blog/bsdiff-very-interesting-binary-diff Blog discussion]		* [http://damaestro.us/blog/bsdiff-very-interesting-binary-diff Blog discussion]
	* [http://openplanetsfoundation.org/blogs/2014-07-09-bsdiff-technological-solutions-reversible-pre-conditioning-complex-binary-objects BSDIFF: Technological Solutions for Reversible Pre-conditioning of Complex Binary Objects]		* [http://openplanetsfoundation.org/blogs/2014-07-09-bsdiff-technological-solutions-reversible-pre-conditioning-complex-binary-objects BSDIFF: Technological Solutions for Reversible Pre-conditioning of Complex Binary Objects]
		+	* [https://exponentialdecay.co.uk/blog/bsdiff-as-a-tool-for-digital-preservation/ Revisiting bsdiff as a tool for digital preservation]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |subcat=Archiving
 |pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/439}}
 |released=2003
 }}

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 '''Bsdiff''' is an open-source utility for generating diffs of binary files which can be distributed as patches or updates without having to send the entire set of binary data each time the package is updated. While one might think the need for such things is reduced with the much-improved bandwidth of modern times, software has also increased in size (the "bloatware" phenomenon), so the need for tools like this continues. Supposedly bsdiff generates more compact diff files than the high-priced proprietary [[RTPatch]] system.
 [[bzip2]] is used for compression.
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 There have been some forks and variant versions of bsdiff, and slightly-divergent forms are used for some platforms and software systems; for instance, there is an adapted version used for Mozilla updates (which, in turn, get put into [[Mozilla Archive]] files).
-== Links and references ==
+== Sources ==
 * [http://www.daemonology.net/bsdiff/ BSDIFF page with link to download]
 * [http://www.pokorra.de/coding/bsdiff.html bsdiff for Windows]
 * [http://cx-bsdiff.sourceforge.net/ bsdiff Python extension]