How to install command-line tools like 'diff'

Insight & Feedback
1

How do I install command line tools, such as ‘diff’?

I’ve set up my ZimaBlade with ZimaOS as a NAS, with a USB HDD hanging off for local backups. To test the backups, I’m doing a restore to elsewhere on the HDD, and then I’d like to do something like a “diff -r” across the restored files and the originals. But I don’t have a “diff” on the path.

I’m a Linux veteran but haven’t before used an immutable distro (if that’s the right term?) like ZimaOS before.

For now I’m just ssh-ing in from elsewhere, and doing the diff from there, but presumably doing it over the network is slower than doing it would be running right there on the ‘blade?

2

Good question, this catches a lot of people on ZimaOS

Short answer: you don’t install tools like diff directly on ZimaOS.

ZimaOS is an immutable / buildroot-style system, so:

  • No apt, apk, yum
  • Root filesystem is read-only
  • You’re not meant to modify the base OS

Best way (recommended): use a Docker container

Run a temporary container that has diff available:

docker run --rm -it \
-v /DATA:/DATA \
alpine sh

Inside the container:

apk add diffutils
diff -r /DATA/path1 /DATA/path2

That runs locally on the disk, not over network > fast.

Alternative (even simpler)

Use a full Ubuntu container:

docker run --rm -it \
-v /DATA:/DATA \
ubuntu bash

Then:

apt update
apt install -y diffutils
diff -r /DATA/path1 /DATA/path2

Why this is the correct approach

  • Keeps ZimaOS clean (no breaking the system)
  • Uses Docker (native to ZimaOS design)
  • Full Linux tooling available when needed
  • Works on any path under /DATA (your actual storage)

About doing it over SSH

You’re right:

  • Running diff remotely over SSH = slower (network overhead)
  • Running inside a container on the ZimaBlade = direct disk access > much faster
2 Likes
3

Thank you for such a great explanation, this is exactly what I needed.