Windows
Linux
Text Processing
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Windows fc /n equivalent in Linux
Shows unified differences between text files.
Windows
→
fc /n
Linux equivalents
diff -u file1 file2
diff -u file1 file2
diff -u file1 file2
Overview
What this command does
Shows unified differences between text files.
Migration tip: Check the distro-specific rows before copying; package names and service names can differ even when the tool name is similar.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Compare text with context
Shows unified differences between text files.
diff -u file1 file2
Compare text with context
diff --help
Show command help when supported
man diff
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
diff -u file1 file2
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: fc /n
diff -u file1 file2Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
diff -u file1 file2 | Compare text with context |
diff --help | Show command help when supported |
man diff | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The equivalent is shown for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch. Some rows use a different package manager or helper tool where Linux distributions commonly diverge.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | diff -u file1 file2 |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | diff -u file1 file2 |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | diff -u file1 file2 |
Same command on this distribution. |
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