OS Manuals

/usr/bin/sdiff

GNU diff utilities

From diffutils 3.12-r10 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running sdiff --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: /usr/bin/sdiff [OPTION]... FILE1 FILE2
Side-by-side merge of differences between FILE1 and FILE2.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
  -o, --output=FILE            operate interactively, sending output to FILE

  -i, --ignore-case            consider upper- and lower-case to be the same
  -E, --ignore-tab-expansion   ignore changes due to tab expansion
  -Z, --ignore-trailing-space  ignore white space at line end
  -b, --ignore-space-change    ignore changes in the amount of white space
  -W, --ignore-all-space       ignore all white space
  -B, --ignore-blank-lines     ignore changes whose lines are all blank
  -I, --ignore-matching-lines=RE  ignore changes all whose lines match RE
      --strip-trailing-cr      strip trailing carriage return on input
  -a, --text                   treat all files as text

  -w, --width=NUM              output at most NUM (default 130) print columns
  -l, --left-column            output only the left column of common lines
  -s, --suppress-common-lines  do not output common lines

  -t, --expand-tabs            expand tabs to spaces in output
      --tabsize=NUM            tab stops at every NUM (default 8) print columns

  -d, --minimal                try hard to find a smaller set of changes
  -H, --speed-large-files      assume large files, many scattered small changes
      --diff-program=PROGRAM   use PROGRAM to compare files

      --help                   display this help and exit
  -v, --version                output version information and exit

If a FILE is '-', read standard input.
Exit status is 0 if inputs are the same, 1 if different, 2 if trouble.

Report bugs to: bug-diffutils@gnu.org
GNU diffutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Options (20)
OptionDescriptionSource
-o, --output FILEoperate interactively, sending output to FILEhelp + man
-i, --ignore-caseconsider upper- and lower-case to be the samehelp + man
-E, --ignore-tab-expansionignore changes due to tab expansionhelp + man
-Z, --ignore-trailing-spaceignore white space at line endhelp + man
-b, --ignore-space-changeignore changes in the amount of white spacehelp + man
-W, --ignore-all-spaceignore all white spacehelp + man
-B, --ignore-blank-linesignore changes whose lines are all blankhelp + man
-I, --ignore-matching-lines REignore changes all whose lines match REhelp + man
--strip-trailing-crstrip trailing carriage return on inputhelp + man
-a, --texttreat all files as texthelp + man
-w, --width NUMoutput at most NUM (default 130) print columnshelp + man
-l, --left-columnoutput only the left column of common lineshelp + man
-s, --suppress-common-linesdo not output common lineshelp + man
-t, --expand-tabsexpand tabs to spaces in outputhelp + man
--tabsize NUMtab stops at every NUM (default 8) print columnshelp + man
-d, --minimaltry hard to find a smaller set of changeshelp + man
-H, --speed-large-filesassume large files, many scattered small changeshelp + man
--diff-program PROGRAMuse PROGRAM to compare fileshelp + man
--helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
-v, --versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.