patch
Apply a diff file (patch) to an original file to update it.
Synopsis
patch [OPTION]... [ORIGINAL [PATCHFILE]]
Examples
patch < fix.patch
patch -p1 < feature.diff
patch -R < fix.patch
patch --dry-run -p1 < test.patch
Common options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| -p | Strip N leading path components |
| -R | Reverse the patch |
| -b | Make backup before patching |
| --dry-run | Test without applying changes |
About patch
The `patch` command apply a diff file (patch) to an original file to update it. Text viewing and editing commands are fundamental tools in any Linux user's toolkit.
Linux treats almost everything as a file, so the ability to quickly inspect, filter, transform, and edit file contents from the command line is critical. These commands are regularly combined with pipes and redirects to build powerful data-processing pipelines.
The command accepts 4 commonly used flags shown above, though the full set of options is available in the man page (`man patch`). The 4 examples on this page cover typical real-world usage patterns that you can copy and adapt for your own workflows.
Related commands
More File Viewing & Editing Commands
Other commands in the File Viewing & Editing category