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    From Duhast@duhast@123gmail.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Fri Jun 5 22:56:22 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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....

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  • From Speccie@someone@somewhere.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Sat Jun 6 08:25:03 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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 /// ?

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  • From David LaRue@huey.dll@tampabay.rr.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Sat Jun 6 11:27:54 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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.
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  • From Steve Nickolas@usotsuki@buric.co to comp.sys.apple2 on Sat Jun 6 08:19:14 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme



    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.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Hugh Hood@hughhood@earthlink.net to comp.sys.apple2 on Sat Jun 6 10:27:36 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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 /// ?


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Duhast@duhast@123gmail.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Sat Jun 6 22:18:04 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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....

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Speccie@someone@somewhere.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Sun Jun 7 08:47:42 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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)

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Speccie@someone@somewhere.com to comp.sys.apple2 on Sun Jun 7 08:56:43 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.apple2.programme

    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)

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2