NAME

     diff - print differences between two files


SYNOPSIS

     diff   [-c | -e | -C n] [-br]file1 file2


OPTIONS

     -C n Produce output that contains n lines of context

     -b   Ignore white space when comparing

     -c   Produce output that contains three lines of context

     -e   Produce an ed-script to convert file1 into file2

     -r   Apply diff recursively to files and directories of  the
          same name, when file1 and file2 are both directories


EXAMPLES

     diff file1 file2    # Print differences between 2 files

     diff -C 0 file1 file2
                         # Same as above

     diff -C 3 file1 file2
                         # Output three  lines  of  context  with
                         every difference encountered

     diff -c file1 file2 # Same

     diff /etc /dev      # Compares recursively  the  directories
                         /etc and /dev

     diff passwd /etc    # Compares ./passwd to /etc/passwd


DESCRIPTION

     Diff compares two files and generates a list of  lines  tel-
     ling how the two files differ.  Lines may not be longer than
     128 characters.  If the two  arguments on the  command  line
     are  both  directories,  diff  recursively steps through all
     subdirectories comparing files of the same name. If  a  file
     name is found only in one directory, a diagnostic message is
     written to stdout. A file that is of either  block  special,
     character  special  or FIFO special type, cannot be compared
     to any other file.  On the  other  hand,  if  there  is  one
     directory and one file given on the command line, diff tries
     to compare the file with the same name as file in the direc-
     tory directory.


SEE ALSO

     cdiff(1), cmp(1), comm(1), patch(1).