Debdelta
Posted5 months agoActive5 months ago
debdelta.debian.netTechstory
calmneutral
Debate
20/100
Package ManagementDelta EncodingLinux Distributions
Key topics
Package Management
Delta Encoding
Linux Distributions
Debdelta is a service that provides delta-encoded Debian packages to reduce download sizes, sparking discussion about its effectiveness and potential adoption.
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Aug 23, 2025 at 7:03 PM EDT
5 months ago
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[1] https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Drop_Delta_RPMs
For certain packages, I'm guessing the byte-savings could be near-infinite. Already programs are encouraged to ship `foo` (potentially arch dependent) and `foo-data`, but imagine updating "just one font" in a blob of fonts, and not having to re-download _all_ other fonts in the package.
For some interpreted-language packages, these deltas would be nearly as efficient as `git` diffs. `M-somefile.js`, A-new file.js` and just modify the build timestamps on the rest...
The answer to your question should be relatively straightforward: just run it on a base/default major version upgrade and see how many MB of files have the same `md5` between releases?
Similarly, I've turned off pdiffs everywhere; it just isn't worth it.
IIRC Google does something similar for Chrome browser updates.