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Delta Compression for Linux Security Patches?

Posted by Cliff on from the binary-diffs dept.

cperciva asks: "For people without fast internet connections, it is often impractical to download large security patches. In order to avoid to reduce patch sizes, some operating systems -- starting with FreeBSD over a year ago, and recently followed by Mac OS X and Windows XP SP2 -- have started to use delta compression (also known as binary diffs, which constitutes a portion of my doctoral thesis), and can often reduce patch sizes by over a factor of 50. In light of the obvious benefits, I have to ask: When will Linux vendors follow suit?"

4 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Right after... by Fermier+de+Pomme+de · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... their biggest customers start using dialup.

  2. SP2? by keiferb · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean to tell me that beast I downloaded was just a diff? Jesus H. Christ!

    1. Re:SP2? by dracvl · · Score: 4, Funny
      You mean to tell me that beast I downloaded was just a diff? Jesus H. Christ!

      If you look at the URL...

      http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/plan ning/redir-binarydelta.asp

      ...you will clearly see that what you downloaded was Windows 2000, with a binary patch that turned it into Windows XP SP2.

  3. Re:How about this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    But if you're posting to Slashdot on a Friday night, you probably don't have a friend's house to go over to.