Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 6 Jun 2026, Duhast wrote

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....

Which platform? II+, //e, IIgs or /// ?


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Duhast <duhast@123gmail.com> wrote in news:110029g$1iufs$1@dont-email.me:

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....

IIRC it was something like the 'comp' program/command. There were several options available.

Later versions, not in the original OS, could do a decent job of comapring text files and resynching after finding different length differences. I
don't recall the utukuty package that was very common to have.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 6 Jun 2026, David LaRue wrote:

Duhast <duhast@123gmail.com> wrote in news:110029g$1iufs$1@dont-email.me:

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm
experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....

IIRC it was something like the 'comp' program/command. There were several options available.

Later versions, not in the original OS, could do a decent job of comapring text files and resynching after finding different length differences. I don't recall the utukuty package that was very common to have.

On MS-DOS you had two options, depending on the licensee. Microsoft themselves offered FC, and IBM offered COMP. I think modern Windows at
least still has FC.

I think on Linux your main checker would be cmp, or you could combine
hexdump or od with diff -u...

-uso.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

I'll vote for Ewen's 'ChewBagger' on the IIgs (or emulator).

<https://speccie.uk/software/chewbagger/>


BTW, good to 'see' you here, Ewen. :-)


OTOH, if you're looking for something to use on the MacOS or Windows command line, Chris Madsen's 'vbindiff' does a nice job.

<https://www.cjmweb.net/vbindiff/>






Hugh Hood

On 6/6/2026 2:25 AM, Speccie wrote:

On 6 Jun 2026, Duhast wrote

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm
experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....

Which platform? II+, //e, IIgs or /// ?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 6/6/2026 3:25 AM, Speccie wrote:

On 6 Jun 2026, Duhast wrote

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level? I think I'm
experiencing some bit rot and wonder if there's something out there....

Which platform? II+, //e, IIgs or /// ?

IIe or //gs. I've had files on my hard drive(not necessarily the actual
same physical hard drive) for over 30 years. Recently I had a problem,
and then recopied the files and things worked again.

These are binaries or sys files, and I would like something that did a
bit by bit comparison and automatically find the differences....


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Hugh,:

I'll vote for Ewen's 'ChewBagger' on the IIgs (or emulator).

<https://speccie.uk/software/chewbagger/>

I knew I had written something that would do the trick, but just could not remember which one it was yesterday!

BTW, good to 'see' you here, Ewen. :-)

I am still here, and do check the groups daily, and it is good to see you are still here too Hugh!

Ewen (Speccie)


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7 Jun 2026, Duhast wrote
(in article <1102kdm$28378$1@dont-email.me>):

IIe or //gs. I've had files on my hard drive(not necessarily the actual
same physical hard drive) for over 30 years. Recently I had a problem,
and then recopied the files and things worked again.

These are binaries or sys files, and I would like something that did a
bit by bit comparison and automatically find the differences....

Then my ChewBagger IIgs utility is exactly what you want. It compares two files, stops at each difference, and allows you to edit them if necessary.

See Page 21 of the ChewBagger manual:

http://speccie.uk/speccie/downloads/chewbagger_manual.pdf

Ewen (Speccie)


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 6/7/2026 3:56 AM, Speccie wrote:

On 7 Jun 2026, Duhast wrote
(in article <1102kdm$28378$1@dont-email.me>):

IIe or //gs. I've had files on my hard drive(not necessarily the actual
same physical hard drive) for over 30 years. Recently I had a problem,
and then recopied the files and things worked again.

These are binaries or sys files, and I would like something that did a
bit by bit comparison and automatically find the differences....

Then my ChewBagger IIgs utility is exactly what you want. It compares two files, stops at each difference, and allows you to edit them if necessary.

See Page 21 of the ChewBagger manual:

http://speccie.uk/speccie/downloads/chewbagger_manual.pdf

Ewen (Speccie)

Great, I'll check it out!


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Duhast wrote:

Is there a utility to compare two files on a byte level?

I'm partial to vim -d (aka vimdiff); but i doubt that there's a II implimentation. I don't know if A2osX, or any of the other unixoid
shell environments have cmp; GNO/ME probably does, and maybe the Orca stuff.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)