rdiff file example

rdiff-example.sh

# $ apt install rdiff
# $ rdiff --help
# Usage: rdiff [OPTIONS] signature [BASIS [SIGNATURE]]
#              [OPTIONS] delta SIGNATURE [NEWFILE [DELTA]]
#              [OPTIONS] patch BASIS [DELTA [NEWFILE]]

# Options:
#   -v, --verbose             Trace internal processing
#   -V, --version             Show program version
#   -?, --help                Show this help message
#   -s, --statistics          Show performance statistics
# Delta-encoding options:
#   -b, --block-size=BYTES    Signature block size
#   -S, --sum-size=BYTES      Set signature strength
#       --paranoia            Verify all rolling checksums
# IO options:
#   -I, --input-size=BYTES    Input buffer size
#   -O, --output-size=BYTES   Output buffer size

# create signature for old file
rdiff signature old-file signature-file
# create delta using signature file and new file
rdiff delta signature-file new-file delta-file
# generate new file using old file and delta
rdiff patch old-file delta-file gen-file
# test
diff -s gen-file new-file
# Files gen-file and new-file are identical

• Note signature is a command to generate a signature file - wasn't obvious to me
• e.g. An example

# Generate signature into sigfile.bin
rdiff signature share/bigbinaryfile.img4 sigfile.bin
# Generate delta from generated signature file and other file
rdiff delta sigfile.bin the-other-bigbinaryfile.img4 delta.rdiff
# Patch the original file to the new file with delta.rdiff
rdiff patch share/bigbinaryfile.img4 delta.rdiff share/bigbinaryfile.img4-new