I am in need of installing old version (N) of product. However its maker dropped full download in favor of horrible launcher-based installer, and for version I am interested in only patch from previous version (N-1) was released.
I managed to obtain and successfully install version N-1, as it was just set of zip packages. Patch for version N however contains diff patches (.rdiff and .xdiff extensions) for data packages (zips), and although I tried to force Launcher to install them but it failed and corrupted data. (I never worked with such patches)
What I know about those diff patches:
- they are diffs for data packages (zips)
- I know which diff is for which package (by filename)
- diffs are not obfuscated, archive manager can access data in them (although there is "unexpected end of archive")
Although I do not have Linux machine ready, I can, if needed, work with software for penguin. I can boot one from pendrive (eg. by bootable .iso loader), I also have pendrive big enough to fit all data on it, so NTFS capability is not required.
(I am in no hurry so please take your time to make good answer ;) I will have access to machine with those files in ~6 hours and its nothing critical anyway)
Edit #1:
Although I failed to get access to files in question yesterday, I did some google+brain work.
Apparently software to do what I need simply do not exist, and patch itself is made in heretic manner.
Files look like created using rdiff-backup utility which, unless I am blind, lacks option to apply reverse patch without repository set up.
I am still not sure if patch is to apply to packed data, or unpacked directory but it can easily be tested when I will finally reach those files.
And now the heretic part, reverse diff patch is made to turn newer version into older... and that company used it to apply incremental patch? Ugh...
It appears I might need to find file format specs and just make my own utility for it.
diff
operation often have an effect on thepatch
command you have to use.