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# HOW TO : Compare two directories in Linux
- URL: https://kudithipudi.org/how-to-compare-two-directories-in-linux/
- Published: 2012-09-11T15:26:07.000Z
- Updated: 2012-09-11T15:26:07.000Z
- Description: Quick post on using diff to compare two directories in Linux. This will show the list of files and subdirectories that are different in either directories...
- Author: admin
- Tags: HOWTO, Linux, Uncategorized, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-23 02:32

Quick post on using diff to compare two directories in Linux. This will show the list of files and subdirectories that are different in either directories

```
diff /PATH_TO_FIRST_DIRECTORY /PATH_TO_SECOND_DIRECTORY -r –brief
```

Options used

- r : Searched recursively through the directory
- –brief : Only shows the names of the files that differ. If you want details of the content that differs, remove this option